Graduated Elderberries (numero 3)

[BraveLilBear]

Welcome back oh graduated elderberries. Let us discuss the delights of being over-30 first-timers with google obsessions

Where were we... oh yes, thanks for the invite Hazle can I get to yours without flying?

And a downside of transverse sections is the cut is a lot longer (for obvious reasons). But an ECV from transverse might well be more beneficial than from breech. They tried to turn my friend but they didn't do it properly so they ended up with a section a day or two later.

So much to worry about!

Oops, I just started a new thread. Everyone ignore it as I have no idea how to delete it !

Maybe I should try a head stand in the pool this weekend and see how many people I can see whispering to their partner, "What is that funny-shaped fat woman doing?"

I think I might just bury my head back in the sand for the next 7 or so weeks until it actually becomes a problem. Thinking about it makes my brain hurt.

That video was horrendous cavort. Lordy. Argh. What have we all done?!!

Shall we all just nip over to hazle's for a swim and forget about the impending agony childbirth?!

Marking place!

Brave sure, will be a bit of a drive though.

janey yes, it would be a relief in a way if they said that I need a CS for medical reasons. Also no being overdue and induction options to worry about. I hate knives though..

I know Janey, I had to look away after about 20 seconds! The woman having it done didn't look too uncomfortable though.

Hazle, when you say you worry about being heavily pregnant in the heat of Summer, it must be some consolation that you can get in the pool when you get home from work. I can't imagine it ever being hot enough here to justify an outdoor pool

I had a colleague years ago whose baby was breech, she did all of this stuff, handstands in the swimming pool, acupuncture, ear candles, random burning Chinese herbs wafted at her bare feet...didn't make a jot of difference she had a section and was terribly upset as she wanted a 'natural' birth.
Personally, I don't give a flying fig if its natural or not, I want the safest, most pain free, quickest recovery without lasting damage birth I can have and I'm trying not to get too hung up over what that might be in case I don't get it. I'm putting water birth on my plan but with every understanding that this might not be what I get.

In a way, yes it is quite nice to have hot summers and the pool is a godsend. Especially when I'll be whale-sized anyway. But I'm having this baby in June, the hottest months are July and August and they don't recommend swimming for about 6 weeks after birth. We don't ahve AC at home. I'll die!

I'm just going to write on my birth plan that whatever I ask for during the labour, this is what I want and should be given.

They're quite pricey, but have you considered a portable A/C unit? I know someone who's got one and says it's really good, especially to get a good nights sleep in hot weather.

If by some miracle we get a hot Summer here I will certainly consider getting one or trying to hire one.

Yes, I'm considering getting air con in the main room in the loft conversion. Ridiculous really given we don't even seem to have a summer anymore. However for those four nights a year it's unbearably stuffy in London it would be a godsend! Plus it doubles up as a heater, so in the middle of winter might be nice too. DP thinks I'm mad, but I just think it would be a lovely luxurious treat five times a year.

hazle my folks place in france is OK in the summer without air con due to the walls being about 50cm deep, and most of it being at ground level. Presuming your walls don't work in the same way? Is there any way you could set a bedroom up on the ground floor if it gets too unbearable at any point?

Yes we'll definitely have to get one for the bedroom, will be too hot for the baby otherwise as well.

janey our ground level is quite ok, upstairs gets hot, but the portable AC should help I hope. Where in France are your folks if you don't mind me asking?

Of course I don't mind! It's in the dordogne (so quite a way from you!), just outside a village outside Bergerac. Is so remote, I absolutely love it there. Gutted I won't be going this year, have had some fab holidays there. Having said that, I'm (ambitiously?!) vaguely planning a hol out there in Sept/Oct if we can face travelling with a 3 month old. I love it there all year round, and have had some fantastic weather in the 'autumn' in the past.

Didn't know you couldn't swim for 6 weeks post birth. So much to learn!

Oh Dordogne is gorgeous.

I can't quite remember where you are. Are you near the French/Swiss border? I have a very good friend who lives in Geneva and it's absolutely gorgeous there too if cripplingly expensive to visit her

Really rather jealous of Swiss existence. Although, my ex now lives there so I can live without being in the same country as him! One of the things I loved the most was how many ways you can say Geneva and it's on every signpost 3 or 4 times to accommodate the languages.

Although it has to be said the the French pronunciation outstrips the German somewhat!

I haven't had a holiday in ages, I'm deeply jealous of all your jet setting.
A courier just turned up at my door with a big bin bag of baby clothes I ordered from eBay, very exciting. I did realise after I'd signed for the package and walked back up the stairs past the mahoosive mirror in our hall that I looked pretty scary but I crawled back into my sick bed and thought sod it. So it's like Christmas, I have presents to unwrap! I did come to the conclusion yesterday that this poor baby won't be dressed in anything I've actually chosen because I like it until she's several months old. Everything is random eBay bundles or the few bits I got new were bought because they were 75% off in sainsbury's not because they were cute. I felt slightly sad for a nano second them thought by the time I'm stripping off the fifth baby grow she's puked down in a day I'm not going to care what pattern is on it anyway, I'll save the buying pretty clothes for when she's not exploding over them

I'm in Alsace, just a few minutes from both Swiss and German borders. It is quite nice here as well, mostly the architecture, towns like this:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Riquewihr_070606_137.JPG/800px-Riquewihr_070606_137.JPG

I'm with you Purple, I'm not bothering with actual clothes until she's at least 6 months and will be sticking to bodysuits and babygrows covered in bodily fluids until then. We've been given some nice clothes which we can use if the Queen requests a meeting but none of them are particularly practical.

I also really like Switzerland, but possibly not as much as DH who decided Zurich is his ideal place to live if he hadn't accidentally had a child who lives here. I think he dreams of spending his Summer weekends doing watersports on the lake and his Winter weekends driving to nearby ski resorts. And working in IT there are loads of contracting jobs in Zurich, not to mention the lovely tax situation. A few years ago he was adamant we should move there for a few years before starting a family. I don't think I particularly helped when I said he should have kept it in his pants if he wanted freedom to up sticks

purple almost all babyclothes I've bought are ebay bundles. I'll get just one cute outfit for photos, but otherwise, as you say, it does not really matter, the baby won't care.

Oh that looks absolutely lovely Hazle

Wow Hazle that's stunning. Reminds me of Mont St Michel in my youth (schooltrip aged 8 lol).

Baby really doesn't need a lot, certainly not cute clothes, but I have seen a few nice sets that I might drop hints about.

My mum did show me a cute yellow newborn size cardi she's satrted knitting the other day though. Would work for boy or girl and will be great for summer evenings for chucking over babygrow in case of visitors. Almost inspired me to pick up the needles myself!

Well aside from a few severely dodgy hand knitted creations (got to be a grandparent) my eBay bundle was a success. I think with the two bundles I've bought we'll have enough to be getting on with for a while though if it's a boy he's going to moan about his baby pictures when he's older because there is a LOT more pink involved in 2nd hand clothes than I would ever have chosen! It is amazing just how immaculate some of this 2nd hand stuff is though, either people buy far too much or they really do grow out of it faster than you would believe possible.
Your part of the world looks charming Hazle, I regularly tell my dog that she's French not German, whilst this might not strictly be true we like to think of her that way and everyone called them Alsatians not GSDs when I was a kid anyway!

Oh hazle that looks bloody gorgeous. Bit different to pikey East London, where I live...

cavort you really made me laugh re meeting the queen. I'm assuming she'll want to meet all our new offspring, right? And not sure second hand babygrows or primark value pack sleepsuits will be appropriate. Better get outfit picking soon!