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

Congrats Bona - hope you and baby are doing well!

Congratulations Bona enjoy every second

Mama still loving your good news updates keep them coming

I am just about to shoot out of the door for my 36 week scan, will try and catch up and read properly later.

Fingers crossed I shall get some answers about where I am expected to give birth!

Has anyone see/heard from aufanie recently? I know she was moving to just round the corner from me this during the last week and I just wanted to check she was ok and the baby was staying put whilst she got settled and sorted.

Got to dash, in a slow waddling whale kind of way!

36 weeks today

Welk quite a productive first day of leave, hit Ikea and got lots of house bits plus loads of tupperware so I can start batch cooking.

Does anyone have any good batch cooking meal ideas? I have a few ideas (curry, mac n cheese, homemade sauces) but any inspiration would be welcome.

teapig spag bol mix, can then be made into a cheats lasagne or pasta bake. I used to bulk it out with lentils as they are good fibre. I had lots of those foil trays for cottage pie. Frozen mash seems mad, but really handy when you are short of time, supermarket stuff is fine to top a cottage pie. You want to think of meals that are easy to eat with a fork, as you'll be so busy snuggling/feeding/sleeping baby it's much more convenient. Lot's of simple casseroles were good too, stick plenty of veg and lentils in to bulk out the meat. Our freezer is almost empty, it's my plan for this weekend to put some down. If you use the foil trays you can either stick them in the oven from frozen, takes about 1 hour on a med heat to reheat, or if you stand it in some hot water briefly, it'll loosen and you can chuck it in some pyrex and nuke it to defrost and then just a quick toast in the oven to crisp up. if you run out of tupperware, you can use freezer bags, if you fill them inside the tupperware, freeze and then release the bag, they are block shaped and stack easier.

My gosh I sound so domesticated... :) I can't clean for pennies though!

I am bloody emotional it's ridiculous. Yesterday, had an afternoon full of tears, after having a good morning at toddlers. I was short tempered, shouty and a bad mummy all round. I couldn't get peace anywhere. Holed myself up in our loo, feet against the door to have two minutes time out, DD spent the whole time banging on the door in tears as she just wants a mummy cuddle. Bawled like a hormonal pregnant woman. Spoke to DH when he got home and he was a complete arse, so burst into tears. Went to bed early-ish and DD woke up and came in and gave me grief for an hour. This morning she had a mega lie in until 9.45am [it's a miracle] and I read my book snuggled in bed. Then MiL picked her up for lunch, and she called an hour ago to ask if she can stay for tea. She's not due back until 6pm ish. Instead of relaxing have spent my time doing little things like paperwork and tidying, wish I'd done more loafing now!

grow mostly baby stuff! Saturday I plan lie in and have bacon butties and then we're going to do the maternity ward tour. Sunday we've got our second ante-natal class in the afternoon. Only 7.5 hours left! :) Oh I seriously can't wait!

Hope the scan goes well Jacq.

Batch cooking I plan to do- spag Bol, chilli, stews, mac and cheese and cheese and potato pie.

enjay I've been very mardy most of the time. I actually considered hitting one of our doctors over the head with a set of notes condescending little arse! DH pinched me the other night (as a joke - what the....?!). Apparently he didn't mean to actually get me....but I burst into tears! It really hurt!

The sex is infrequent! Poor DH, used and abused for so long when we were TTC and I've gone off it most of the pregnancy! Now it's just so ruddy awkward. Certain positions hurt, lying down makes me breathless. Very tricky! Can't imagine doing it to bring on baby!

35+2, one day to work!

Afternoon.

All is perfect with the bump, he is a lovely average 6lb for 36 weeks, in a great position and his head is so low down (fully engaged apparently) that they couldn't scan his head at all!

Obviously this doesn't mean labour is anywhere near here but it cheered me up to know there is a possibility, lots of walking and bouncing on my ball will be done from now on in.

Also my consultant has confirmed that the service move should not be happening until after I have given birth and so I don't need to panic about making an hour long journey HURRAH!!

All round a very good appointment, I just need to wait it out now

Sorry for the me, me, me post. Off to pick up the 3 DC from after school club now, catch you all later!

36 weeks

we're nearly there faith i sent a few farewell emails this afternoon, so its feeling more real. ging to try aquanatal tonight to see if that will keep me moving but the weight off my swollen legs!

35+2 and on the home straight!

Great news Vic!! Really pleased for you x

Thanks for the batch cooking tips kellestar and faith. Great tip re adding oats/lentils to bulk things up and add in extra fibre.

kellestar, put your feet up while you can it's not 6pm yet!

jaq really glad to hear that everything is looking great.

jh glad to hear scan went well!

Getting freezer in next few days, so thanks for batch tips, oh quite likes cooking anyways, so not going too overboard with it.

Haha read my notes from yesterday's appt, she didn't ask me about swelling (my bp was low & no protein) but under swelling wrote "slight, all over" how mean! I was having a fat day in fairness.

I still cry at least once a day, but seem to recover fast from my tearyness and am fairly cheerful otherwise. 37 weeks tomorrow!

Hello. Had a trip to the day unit today as baby was a bit quiet. The MW was a bit sniffy when I called and tried putting me off coming in (it was 3.30 and they close at 5, so she said it'd be a push to get done in time). She suggested waiting another hour and then going to the closest hospital (30 min away and open 24 hours) if nothing.

I said I wasn't waiting - what terrible advice! I'd barely felt anything all day and I have a history of PE.

Anyway, got on the trace and he was quiet at first but they gave me some lucozade and he perked up! BP was slightly high but settled eventually. I was just so with the MW on the phone. If they are trying to put people off going 1.5 hours before they close some people might not go in and may decide not to take the trip to the hospital later on, especially if they don't drive. How is that safe?

Baby is 4/5 engaged, which explains the lovely pressure I've been having. Hope it means he's on his way, but I doubt it!

Good evening Ladies!

Sneezy what awful advice, glad you stood up to that work shy sounding MW! Changes in movement (amount, frequency or pattern) should always be taken seriously especially given your history of PE, as you know but not every other women might. Personally I think her actions trying to encourage you to wait it out are bordering negligent.

Great to hear so much good news on this thread, huge congratulations to Bonadea does he have a name yet? Also wonderful to hear more good news from Mama & Alex

We have had a very nice day although I seem utterly incapable of taking it easy. This morning we went to Gym tots, then for coffee with a friend and her toddler at our cafe at the base which has a soft play area. Then home for lunch & DD slept for an hour while I hoovered and did the bathrooms then into York for coffee and cake with another friend. Now the baby feels like its going to fall out, I need to slow down! DH has been away this week & is back tomorrow, thank god!

Had my 38 week MW appt, I had one of many painful tightenings I've been having while she was listening to babies heartbeat. She is pretty sure they are irregular contractions. Don't think much will happen yet though, my instinct is that I will go over due again but when I do go into labour it will be very quick. Eeek!

Anybody care to predict their baby's weight? I was reading an paper saying that for bigger babies mothers estimates are as accurate as growth scans! This baby feels big and my guess is 9 lb 6.

38 weeks tomorrow.

Belated congrats bona bet it is still sinking in!

sneezy completely agree with toobreathless. The MW sounds a tit acting like that, could make the difference between a happy outcome or tradegy. Makes me mad. Glad you weren't prepared to be fobbed off and all was fine.

toobreathless exciting I bet to know your body is gearing up in readiness. interesting theory about weights. Although I feel like a whale, have been told by MW baby won't be big. My DS was bang on average (7.5). I think this one might be smaller 6.12!

36 + 6 ( term tomorrow....eek)

Hi all - I have not been online for a couple of days. There are good times and hard times but DP took today off as I showed him what I had been doing all week to explain why I was so exhausted and emotional. I actually created a spreadsheet, all colour-coded and everything! I did the same for his but needed very few colours as he has been at work all week so it out of the house from 6.30am until 6pm.

Have just caught up with everyone...

JH so good to read that your appointment went well and that the changes are not going to happen before DC arrives. Well done on being 36 weeks too - a personal record?!

Floss I hope you are home and settling in with a snuggly baby.

BonaDea congratulations. I hope you and baby are well.

Fluff I hope your unit agree that DP can stay with you. I should think they must have some arrangements in place for people who require extra support. I should think on my Maternity Unit they would set things up so that DP could stay - they have a number of single rooms and there are also a few transition rooms. I know the transition rooms in NICU all have double beds and ensuite bathrooms and I am sure at least one of them has been empty the whole time DS has been in NICU.

Mama what fabulous news (and FB pic) about Alex being tube/needle/intervention free. I have been thinking about you a lot in the last couple of days as it has seemed very tough for me dealing with Evan and balancing the girls' needs too. I know the staff on NICU are fabulous and I know the vagueness is because no one knows exactly how Evan will cope with things - but it has been hard seeing other babies heading home and all he seems to have done is lose weight and need to go back under the billi-lights. But he is only a week old and really just needs to grow and manage to feed and keep his food down - so when it has seemed really hard I have thought about you and how you have kept going and have been so positive through a much longer and bigger challenge with Alex. So it is extra great to see that Alex has taken such a huge step forward and that you are both getting so close to going home.
Thank you.

My good news is that today, at the age of just one week, Evan came out of his incubator and was dressed which feels like such a huge step forwards. I have not managed a single day without tears yet but there are a lot more good times than bad now. I was with him for the morning and he was still under his lights and in his incubator. DP went up for the afternoon and got to dress Evan.

We took the DDs up this evening but hadn't told them that Evan was in a cot and dressed so they were both really happy to see him. DD1 especially felt he looked more like a baby and now wants to visit him every day - she didn't really like seeing him in his incubator as he was so tiny and bony. She was afraid to touch him but loved holding his hand today.

And DD2 found it absolutely hilarious when I was changing Evan's nappy - had got everything done, was about to swap the nappies and he did a HUGE fountain of pooh which went everywhere! I had to pull the emergency cord to get a nurse to come and help - we had to wipe it off the side of his cot, down the side of his mattress and he had even got it OUTSIDE his cot to the monitor which was on the shelf at the bottom of his cot

That boy has got talent! He tried to escape from his incubator two nights ago - they gave me the photograph of him turned sideways with his head pressed up against one of the access windows!

Dysgu what a lovely family update, glad to hear you are all doing so well. Interested to know what Evan is going to get up to next, little monkey

dysgu lovely to hear how Evan is gettin on and ur dd's are welcomin him.

Glad to know I'm not the only hormonal loony pregnant lady lately! Watched programme bout the Saturdays earlier and una had to say goodbye to her dd while she stayed in America. Sounds so silly but cried my eyes out! Pah!

No tips on batch cooking but wld advise on a slow cooker. We use ours all the time, literally chuck sum meat/veg/sauce in, leave it cooking all day and yummy tea all ready and waiting!

Anyone know if you can get an mp3 file of the Maggie Howell hypnobirthing CD? I used it in last pregnancy and wld very highly recommend it but want to brush up on it and put it on my phone to listen to?

36wks today and only 3 days till annual/mat leave! Woohoo!

Dsygu aww Evan sounds like he's doing really well. And your DD's sound lovely :). I can't imagine what any of you mums with babies in incubators are going through but you are such an inspiration and really help put small moans into perspective.

I hope everyone starting mat leave this weekend has a fantastic first weekend of peace/calm/preperation.

It's like a snow blizzard outside here today. I have a weird thing of having to go outside and stand in it when it's snowing. Before getting pregnant I loved snow. It makes everywhere look so clean and pretty. These days it scares me to death in case I slip and fall on it with my waddle walk lol.
My VI group had a collection for the baby yesterday and wanted ideas of what they could buy but honestly we need/want nothing. Everyone has been do generous with gifts and hand me downs etc plus our careful buying of bargains as and when we see them means we have everything. Does anyone have any ideas of what ideas I can give them? I also worry because they are all visually impaired and I don't want to give them an impossible task finding certain colours/brands etc.
Stay safe and warm if your facing the snow today :).

Congrats to everyone who has met their babies already, hope you're all doing well. Have been lurking for a while but just so tired to post

Am also brain dead so apologies for the lack of name checks...

To the poster who asked about the maggie Howells mp3, I have looked in iTunes etc and couldn't find it, so bought the cd and downloaded it into on DH phone that way, mine has no space unfortunately. But am also going to buy a £10 personal CD player from Argos today so can listen to it lying in bed etc. out only CD player is in the car or via the DVD player, so would never really be able to listen to it....

My bile acid levels were 57 so confirmed OC, am bring induced at 38 weeks, I now have a date so panic stations. Had a growth scan this week and baby is 'big', estimated current weight is 5lb 10oz, which I think may explain why I have felt do weak this pregnancy, I haven't been able to eat much so baby is obviously getting all the nutrients first, and developing healthily leaving me slightly drained.... Have terrible insomnia so when I read about some of you doing coffee dates etc I'm in awe, I struggle to get to the supermarket less than a mile down the road, in the car, I am so exhausted. Anyone have any tips to getting off to sleep? Pretty please....

Also found out what we're having, as we didn't in the previous scans. Lets just say I won't be able to use my name of choice of Ruby.....

34+6

Hi Cheese. I'm expecting my OC rest results today aswell! The itching is so frustrating isn't it. We are expecting a date of csection or induction today due to my GD and breech baby in any event.

It is lovely to see all of the new babies on the fb page. Although we do have 115 babies as I was never added to the list! I was due 14 April but we'll get a firm date today hopefully! Be in the next two weeks.

36+5

Morning all
Dysgu- I'm so happy to hear Evan is doing well. Sounds like you have a little escape artist on your hands! Your words made me cry a little bit, alex is the strong one not me- i hope you can get evan home as soon as possible I know how hard it is to be splitting your time. I have been thinking of you.
I had a bad day yesterday Alex is great but my ex stopped by to cry some more and send me into incandescent rage!
But the great news is we could be home on Monday!! Alex has passed the car seat test with flying colours and is over 5 lbs and eating independently. So long as all is well Monday with his weight then......

Thanks cheese thought I'd have to do sumthin like tht to get the mp3 but can't find the CD from last time, must of lent it to sumone?! He anyone else knows bout an mp3 file?

Fab news mama so happy for you xx

Mama Amazing news you're on your way home. That is fantastic!
And Dysgu hang on in there, youand Evan will get there, I imagine the days just feel so long right now.

I've got 5 days left at work and was happily handing over everything but the guy I was passing everything on to has just come to see me to tell me he's going to resign today as he's had an amazing job offer he can't say no to. AARRRGGGHHHHH. I thought it was all going too smoothly.
I look after a massive client and we can't just leave their business floating. I was so determined to leave work properly and not have it hanging over me when I went on mat leave. It's not his fault, just bad timing but I'm so angry. I really want to be able to enjoy my last weeks at home before bump arrives and know myself that I'll need time to forget work / decompress/ get out of work mode and into baby mode. I really don't want to be worrying about the office and to have that spoil the birth I want.

Sorry for the me-me-me rant but I'm so annoyed

What a fabulous start to the day Mama fingers crossed that Alex' weight is good on Monday. You must be feeling so happy to be so close to going home - finally. Sorry to see that yesterday was a bad day re your ex - hopefully you will be better able to deal with him once you are home with Alex.

I have DD2 all day today so it will only be a short visit with Evan until I can go up after DP gets home. We went shopping last night so DDs chose some vests and sleepsuits that will be Evan's first 'own' clothes to wear - so the very first ones will go in his memory box once he outgrows them.

Monday Mama wow! Hope you will have some good support from family/friends?

Mumof2cats how exciting to have 'a date!'

Cheese lovely to hear you are having a boy! Do you have any ideas for names?

Trish how are you getting on? I vaguely remember you not feeling 100% last time you posted, hope you are feeling a bit better.

Kellestar so glad you had some time to yourself! You are not a 'bad Mummy' you are an amazing Mummy & I have absolutely no idea how you hold it all together with the business too! Plus B is such a lovely little girl. I am so so lucky to have H in nursery 1.5 days a week and without that think I'd lose the plot. Your MIL sounds fab, glad she is helping out occasionally. Has DH booked any leave yet?

DD is in nursery this morning so I have just dropped her off and an sitting in our cafe having a coffee and knitting. I have to say having met you ladies online I am counting my blessings during this pretty easy second pregnancy (touchwood!) I definately think twice before moaning about some really silly stuff - lilt my belly button popping out! This is very healthy, so for that thank you all!

Right so who is having their baby next??