Graduated Elderberries (numero 3)

[BraveLilBear]

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

Poor brave though - you've certainly not had it easy to date....

Cavort - apparently it's also useful to write stuff on there you might not remember after the agony chaos of labour - like whether you want the baby to have a vitamin K injection or not. Talking of which, thoughts everyone?

I thought they gave that automatically these days to every baby Janey? It's especially important that mine has it due to my stupid liver and I have to take vitamin K tablets from 30 something weeks and have a special injection after birth to stop me bleeding as this liver thing stops your blood clotting properly or something. I don't know if it's all related to my liver/blod clotting issues but I have some SPECTACULAR bruises all over my thighs which I have no idea how I've done them, I mean my legs are absolutely black so I guess I'm bruising easily since I've no recollection of how they would have got there. It doesn't really hurt but looks like I've had a hell of an accident or I keep threatening OH that I'm telling everyone he's a wife beater if he displeases me in any way

I thought so too. But saw a debate on here the other day and some people decline it due to one study (from what I've read it's just one study and hasn't been shown in any others) that linked it with childhood cancers. I think other studies have disproved this (or at least not been able to point to a link), and generally, I'm the kind of person that thinks that I trust the NHS more than I do Dr.Google... But I know some other people feel very strongly about things like that?

My birth plan will just say that yes, I do want whatever I'm asking for during the delivery and get me the fucking epidural!.
I've heard tons of stories from mums who started with birth plans requesting essential oils and whale song only, but quickly changed their minds.

found some nurses commenting on birth plans:

The people who come to the hospital and won't let you do anything to them. No saline lock, no vitals, no vag exam, no fetal monitoring. NOTHING! I feel like asking them "Why didn't you just stay home?"

It involved an African birthing swing. Unfortunately there are no trees on L&D to hold it up.

Giving birth in a pool of dolphins. yes I understand they are sweet creatures but still

"We do not wish you to circumsice our son without first discussing it with us." - Oh thank you, I always arbitrarily pick out boy babies to circ, and I spirit them away in the dead of night when you are sleeping. Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!!

laparoscopic c-section

I had a patient request that images of rainbows be hung all over the labor room so she could visualize herself transcending through the different color levels when she was experiencing pain. She also asked that the nurse massage her clitoris during her contractions.

Lol at nurse to massage clitoris during contractions (why not her OH?)

We are going to allow the Vit K injection. I've done some Googling and to my mind there is not very much evidence to suggest it isn't safe.

We'll be calling you blacknbluemonster before long at this rate! Bless you. At least you get blackmail rights out of it though. Every cloud??

I never knew anything about vitamin K - never even knew they jabbed newborns at all tbh - til very recently. It's up there with the whole 'injection for afterbirth' thing. It's a total mystery. Logically, it seems bizarre that they do this, although many children would have been perfectly happy without this in years gone by. But then it's weighing up risks isn't it.

If someone said 'if your baby doesn't have xyz done immediately or it will die' I'd say yes without hesitation. But without risk/benefit data I'm not seeing the necessity... (unless there were birth injuries or a traumatic/lengthy birth process). Seems cruel to welcome a baby to the world with an alien piece of metal. Maybe if it wasn't given so soon after birth (apart from necessary cases) I'd feel different.

Will see what the healthcare professionals have to say when it gets raised along the way...

Definitely something for the birth plan though. I plan to have things like 'OH to stay with baby if mum and baby are separated' and 'skin to skin asap with either mum or dad (or both)'.

Lol at clitoral massage - I have heard of that before actually, on another site I used to comment on (completely unrelated to any of this, I might add), someone said that their OBGYN (was an American) had massaged clitoris when in worst pain, which was amazing.

It does make perfect sense, especially if you believe that female orgasms were invented for such that purpose (ie relieving pain and increasing contraction strength) but surely this is where DIY is the only excusable option (and even then, who'd do that in a room full of strangers wearing latex gloves??!)

WTF? Clitoral massage?! I know nothing about this orgasm theory but can't imagine anything worse than anyone 'having a go' when I'm in labour?!

yup I think that massage will be on the same list as "decorating belly with painting on henna tattoo". Meaning that um..thanks but no.

If anyone even tries to touch me like that when I'm giving birth I'm so breaking their fingers.

I'm with you on that one purple.

There's a thread with people talking about raspberry leaf tea and how it helps with labour, a couple of them seem to swear by it and had "easy" (relatively!) births. Do you think there could be any truth to that?

The MW who took my antenatal classes said she didn't think Raspberry Leaf Tea could/would start labour/contractions, but she thought if you took it regularly in the weeks leading up to the birth it would soften the cervix and make you dilate faster. My friend has given me some she had left over and I tried a cup (which didn't taste too bad) so I might just give it a go anyway. Even if it's a load of rubbish it can't hurt.

The MW who took the birth plan class today was a different one to the antenatal class MW but was also gushing about the wonders of hypnobirthing. I had decided not to do the classes but I think I am going to splash out £12 on something like this which also can't hurt.

I think Raspberry Leaf Tea is meant to help tone the uterus so that contractions are much more effective.

Sooo does everyone have that Friday feeling today?

I am SO glad it's Friday, with one thing and another (bank holidays, illness etc) it's the first full week I've worked in a while and I'm shattered! Can't wait to not have to get up early in the morning.

I hear you Purple! Fair play to you for making it through...

I can't wait for today to be over. Totally had enough of people being stupid at work and have a tame hen do to look forward to tomorrow, then my brithday and a two day week as have booked three days off next week. Feels a very long time coming after having to cover for all my colleagues over Easter when I was the only one in!

So glad it's Friday! Have a great birthday and enjoy the days off brave I've actually started to look forward to my first scan tomorrow so the excitement has suddenly taken over the fear and nerves!

Someone in my office has come down with a measles like rash and her family all have it apparently so, as I've never had it, I'm hoping she doesn't have it and it's something else!! Am irrationally annoyed with her as she was sure she is immune and went to visit her family without telling me after I asked her to warn me (she's a teensy bit annoying even without the measle-like rash tbh!)

Morning all. I completely agree, thank Crunchie it's Friday!

For those of you who are struggling to, ahem, 'go,' might I suggest a dose of nerves to sort it out. I hadn't been properly since before Spain and no amount of fibre was working until I had a meeting this morning with 2 of my Directors which I knew would result in an arguement. Sorted my problem right out!

Oh Cavort poor you! But, hey, least it solved one problem

Hope you won the argument...

Fx that selfish lady hasn't brought something nasty to the office Alex. Make sure you wash your hands before eating etc to minimise risk. And it's worth finding out what it is, too...

Am actually working my birthday (Monday) but don't mind as it means I have a super long weekend next weekend - Wednesday to Sunday, woop!

Ok, so last night one of my nipples leaked in bed Has anyone else had this yet?

Despite previously reading that it's normal I was still quite shocked and a bit disgusted to be honest.

I was laying on my left side in a sort of recovery position and this must have been squeezing my left boob because when I moved it was all over my arm.

DH says I should be pleased that things seem to be working as they should, but I didn't particularly want them to work for another 10 or so weeks

I then had very strange boob-related dreams and kept waking up all night to check that my leaky norks hadn't flooded the bed

I've had a couple of drops, but certainly no soaking.

Talking about that, just ordered a couple of nursing bras - no chance I could find anything close to the recommended size here in France, so got some from www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk/. my hospital list recommends 2 sizes up from current, people on MN mostly said back size down, cup size up - almost had a fit when I realized what sizes I therefore had to order. I will look absolutely ridiculous!

Hazle my back size hasn't gone up so do you think I should still go down or just get my normal size in a bigger cup? Or leave it to see if my back size goes up in the next 10 weeks? It occurs to me that I might have to get some kind of bra to sleep in from now on if i'm going to have a leakage problem so I suppose I may as well get a nursing bra which I can use afterwards as well.

I would wait a few more weeks before buying, in case you do grow. But if you haven't grown then I would go for just your normal back size. My ribs have expanded quite a lot - in such case it's apparently normal that they'll go back down quickly as well.
As you're in UK, I would probably get one of those to start with:
www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk/search.asp?types=Bravado as the sizing is flexible, and buy more later when you know what size you need.

Well at least you know they work I suppose, I keep looking at my nipples suspiciously but they've not done anything untoward yet.

Me too purple. Keep checking but nothing to date. Have bought a lovely waterproof mattress cover on the advice of a friend though - maybe I ought to start using it?!
Very impressed with your fully functioning boobs though cavort. Mine are just massive and pointless still.