July 2013 - thread 7 - and we're still talking as we enter the 3rd trimester

[Persuasion]

We've managed to fill yet another thread, so here is a new one to keep chatting away on...

And the stats list is here

Oh Dinky, sorry to hear about your difficulties with your son. Sometimes a good weep is just the ticket, but sounds like you have distracted yourself with organisational superfun!

Another lazy day for me today.

31+3

Slouching hope you are having a relaxing couple of days off. Remember there are no prizes for battling on til the bitter end. Have you had your Hb re-checked? How long are you taking off. I can totally sympathise with wanting to go on for as long as possible but our job is hardly a walk in the park even when not pregnant.

Morning ladies. Hope all is well. We have the builders in today that's 7 days this week. I just want everything finished so I can start shopping for the baby. Not long left and so much to get!

Went to Secret Cinema last night after our cancelled show. Really good effort, bit disappointing how they showed the film. It involved lots of walking too. Not great for a 7 month pregnant woman.

29+4

Morning ladies. Such a big update just reading through what everyone else Has been up to this week. Started hynobirthing workshops, really relaxing and talked a lot about stress anxiety in childbirth. Couple next to me fell asleep and was snoring through that hyno sessions which was quite amusing.

NCT starts tomorrow sooo terrified. I have definitely been the nerdy sore thumb so far. I am not very girly at all but will give it ago. Also being 5'11 towering over tiny women doesn't help I am like the gruffalo in women based social gatherings.

Vinegar thanks, I am feeling much better after sick days on Thurs/Fri and a weekend relaxing. Back tomorrow and should have a fairly ok week. Planning to talk with my college tutor about plans for June... if I need to go off early then so be it.

Hb recheck next week after 3 week trial of oral iron, then I'm first in the queue for ferrinject if no improvement.

I'm sad to have to give up on any hope of passing my competencies for this year, but as that inevitably involves coming in on my days off (now essential sleeping time) to tick the relevant boxes there's no way it can happen now.

When do you finish? Hope you are getting on ok. I can't imagine how hard it is with one child already!

Afternoon ladies. After being diagnosed with polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) this week I thought I'd better get organised so that if my waters suddenly go I can just grab bag and go. So now I have a suitcase with several pairs of pants in (labour bag), a bag with an outfit (no hat), baby wipes and nappy sacks in (baby bag). Oh dear. Going to ASDA on tuesday to buy newborn nappies, maternity pads, toiletries, snacks and bottled water to put in freezer. Need to go on mothercare website to buy a baby hat and bouncy chair. Need more leggings and nighties. Need to wash dressing gown and dark towel for me. Need to buy a nice soft towel to wrap baby in (don't like the bald scratchy ones the hospital give you). I'd also like to get some stuff from lush to put in a footbath during labour and a little toy "snoopy" to go in the cot. I think that's it!

What snacks are you going to bring? I tend to have short labours, although likely being induced this time so expecting a long time waiting around at first. I find that I'm starving after though and need more than the tea and toast you get after labour. I remember someone mentioning haribo sweets so will get some of those. I was thinking of cereal bars but not sure what else.

Good luck with the builders Sashabella - glad you enjoyed Secret Cinema. I gave up on it as Sis and BIL cant make any of the other dates so I've asked for a refund - a week on still havent heard back. Grr. DH and I are off out to see the circus at London Wonderground tonight instead.

DH and DS1 and DS2 made the baby's mini cot today - was very cute watching them at work. The boys are very proud of themselves.

Ellie - you sound well prepared. I found I was starving post labour - jaffacakes are a good snack I found as well as cereal bars, dried apricots, dried dates and lucozade sport energy drinks.

All this hospital bag talk has persuaded me to do a 'to do' list, and good lord is it long! We made it to an NCT nearly new sale yesterday and had great fun, bringing home lots of newborn-3months babygros and vests, a playmat and books. We also picked up and put together our pram, which got me rather excited!

I know it's been mentioned before, and I've had advice before, but does anyone have a favoured reusable nappy brand? It's our next buy, alongside the carseat, and I'm stuck on both!

Ellie I was thinking about labour bag snacks today too and have put some wee bags of dried apricots, prunes etc into my online shop. Also cereal bars, asda have a good offer on the kind I like just now so bought a few boxes - hope there are some left by the time labour comes around! In fact I'll probably need to hide them. I got some black towels for a previous labour so will be packing one or 2 of them again, saves embarrassing blood stained towels if I need to stay on ward postnatally! I still have some left over cheap big pants from last time too so just need to get maternity pads and sort out toiletries and that will be my stuff. Really need to get baby clothes out of loft though...

slouching I'm glad you've had a restful weekend and are feeling good about the week ahead. I've decided I'm going to ask my manager if I can finish a week early - if ok it means I only have 3 more weeks at work which somehow seems like a lot less than 4 in my head!

photographer enjoy your nct tomorrow- im sure half the mums (and dads) will be as terrified as you, and you are there to learn more like everyone else

sasha good luck with builders, hope they don't make too much mess! What are you having done? ( I'm sure you've already said but I can't remember )

mrsross I use tots bots nappies with motherease wraps. Fleece liners but you can use disposable liners. Oh and cheeky wipes which are lovely and soft.

We use a mix of sized TotsBots and birth-to-potty Onelife nappies, with flushable liners and a variety of wraps (mostly Bummis and Onelife). The birth to potty nappies were too huge to use realistically until 6m+ though.

You can get really useful trial/starter packs from various places which are a very good way of seeing what suits you when baby arrives.

Evening ladies, been for a late one at the beach tonight, recovering now from my sunburn but shoulders are still sore, slapping on after sun like there's no tomorrow & being more careful. I'm making everyone a pasta bake tonight, my cooking often leaves something to be desired but pasta bake is the one easy thing I can make from scratch.
Re. Hospital Bag I'm planning on making my list tonight whilst the boys are watching "Banged Up Abroad", having to have an early one as we're going to the water park tomorrow. Utilising everyone's recommendations for what to pack, thank you everyone!
Sorry for the lack of personals I am reading & keeping up daily but dying for a shower as salty & suncreamy & feeling eww right now! 30+1

OMG you've all been busy! I've been offline for three days and you've all filled pages!!!

I've been occupying my Blegian friends that were visiting and pacifying MIL over her boyfriend issues (!!)

Phie I know, I'm 30 weeks and 10 weeks seesm no time at all....

BB01 I know what you mean about the NCT classes, when I said I really wanted an ELCS I was looked at askance.... also, lack of hard info. Like the fact our local hospital only has one non-medicalised birthing suite and we all have to give birth there....with an average of 10 births or so a day....

Icing sympathise with the sleep thing...tried everything!

dinky Just wish it was set up round here for a birth in a nice atmosphere...all very medical!

BB01 The important thing about birth is just that you and your LO are Ok....you can have preconceptions, but they don't always happen....

Ellie Am having a baby shower (friend is organising one for me), because I have never had one! Your craft idea sounds great!!

Thinkingof4 No, feeling absolutely huge!!! Even DD said, 'God, you're enormous'.

Dinky Can't imagine braving the tube atm!! You're very brave!!

SilverBirdie They are worried that mine might be quite big....because of the Gestational Diabetes... DD was enormous even at 31 weeks....
I'm going for an ELCS if I can as had horrendous experience with DD's VB!

Trying to avoid EMCS as our hospital has bad reputation for leaving you days....

Slouching I'm that tired too, coudn't even imaine working, yet they say there's nothing causing it. Though some health problems I had before pg probably not helping.....

Sending MANY HUGS XXXX

Waves to princesslllamaCitizenoscar

Totally True that you need someone patient who works with you to make expressing worthwhile!

All this talk of hospital bags is making me feel so disorganised. I keep forgetting to buy maternity pads, but I think I have a trial sample of newborn nappies in the bottom of the wardrobe somewhere.
We're moving house in 3 weeks (eek!) and I think I'll probably wait to sort out a bag until we're in the new place. We haven't started packing up the house yet. I have to get all the baby clothes out of my parents attic and give them a wash too, but planning to do that after the move too.
I'm currently addicted to cinnamon crunch granola bars, so I'll have to put a few of them in the bag when I get round to it.
Great tips about a dark towel. I just used the oldest one I could find last time, but dark would be better.

SilverBirdie Know how you feel panicking about previous complicated labour...my hospital not helping either....

Still have yet to see my consultant again, supposed to finally see her on Wednesday, will have to wait and see if it happens....am hoping for an ELCS so I hope you can decide this close, as they've kept me waiting....

Dinky Think I'm just going to see how it goes with BF and bottle.... I wasn't too precious with DD and it worked out fine....

MrsRoss Phew for avoiding the fall!

SundaySunshine Would have murdered them at that point!!!

CheekbyJowl Think my tolerance levels are about the same!!!

Icing Have a great holiday!

Dinky Sometimes you just go through extreme periods of testing. DD used to do things like that when I was actually teaching at her school, which seemed to make it all even worse.... Good luck with that xxx

You sound very organised on the baby front!

Icing I've been keeping Gavison in business single-handedly!

Photographerlady At my NCT am like the pet dwarf...they are all girly and giant!

Ellie Packed most of my hospital bag already. Have no idea about snacks as wasn't allowed them last time!

I'm just so tired, and not getting any sleep at all.... not getting to sleep, then starting to drift and waking....if it's not hips or spine it's heratburn or my neuro issues in hands and feet. GRRRRR!

Dinky I love the thought of your 2 DSs helping DH with the cot, how cute!

I've been down to London for the day for afternoon tea and a little light shopping with a friend. Seemed a bit crazy at first (we live up north, whereas friend is down south) but actually quite liberating not worrying about a hotel and overnight bag. Am now utterly stuffed with cake but had a lovely day.

DH dropped me at the station this morning and asked about hospital bags, to which I said it was probably the next thing to get sorted. The discussion here is therefore very timely and I am liking the tips on dark towels, dried fruit and cereal bars.

Anyone thought about "entertainment" if they have a long labour? I don't want us to be sat there on our phones the whole time, and know DPs played a very basic board game when in hospital having me and then DSis. Thinking of taking the travel Yahtzee as it packs up nice and small. Any tips from those who have been there before?

31+3 - and after tomorrow I have only one more Monday at work! Have more than 2 weeks sadly, but the rest start on Tuesdays, or not at all in the case of my holiday in my penultimate week.

Wow BadmissM that was quite some catch up! Love how you paused for breath half way through. Hope you had a lovely time with your friends - poor Mil re boyfriend issues though! Hope you get to see your consultant and get elcs signed off on Wednesday.

MrsMillions - my top tip is to stay home as long as possible so play your board games at home. If you can still focus on a board game you are not in active labour yet. I had the genius plan to sort out my handbag in early labour with ds2 - sadly I was straight into active labour and left tonnes of stuff out in random places btwn contractions! What I did find good when being induced was having my own music playing - we took in our iPod and player. Also, for the day kicking around on labour ward waiting to be induced, a good funny book and couple of trashy mags were good.

Badmissm - on the plus side, when your little boy arrives you'll probably find you're getting more sleep than now! I too was fine of the shortest in my nct group - though thankfully I had one other short arose friend there to stare at the others knees with!

MrsMillions - afternoon tea sounds lovely. Hope you had a great time!

I think I said this upthread, but my DH packed THREE NOVELS to read while I was in labour. As it was I had no latent phase to speak of and the poor guy was on full duties throughout the night holding me on the birth ball at the exact angle I wanted to lean back at (high maintenance much?!). Luckily it only took 7 hrs from first contraction to fully dilated so I am expecting this one to be fairly quick too just don't ask how long it was from being filly dilated to actually getting him out

Anyway, I agree with dinky if you are with it enough to play a board game you are much better off staying at home! (Unless bring induced or admitted for another reason).

Brilliant recommendations for what to take to hospital! Very useful.

We have a load of Tots Bots nappies lent to us by SIL and they seem fantastic although obv can't really test them yet. A few people have recommended this make though. Also awaiting our trial selection pack from the council.

Vinegar - when my friend was in labour with her first, her husband was sat reading the paper on the bed, eating her food, complaining how bored he was! I think if she hadnt been otherwise occupied she would have castrated him then and there - so probably a good thing your DH was prepared with books to not annoy you if it took a while, though great he was so hands on (literally) while you were in active labour

morning all. have been catching up with what you're all taking into hospital (including things to entertain your DHs!). I think I am nearly done with the hospital bag shopping and everything just needs to be packed away in bags after half term hols. will buy some chocolate biscuits healthy snacks and drinks (cordial and tea) and straws nearer the time. was wondering what size sleepsuits / bodysuits / nappies to take in? has anyone been given an idea as to how big their babies are likely to be?

I also need to book my haircut, have a good clean and get some meals and lunch box things sorted to leave behind for the DCs (just in case something happens during the day and my mum rather than DH has to do pick ups and meals) and make sure my mum knows where all nursery / school / playing / going out clothes are kept. She has had two children herself who have managed to reach their late 30s / early 40s so I am sure she will manage!

So. i have to do my birth plan for next week. here it is so far:

. we want to find out sex of baby for ourselves and not be told
. skin to skin with me (NOT daddy) asap
. vitamin K injection to be given
. intend on breastfeeding so may need some assistance

apart from the obvious method of delivery - which i am still very undecided about - what have I forgotten?

another thing that i need to do is look for some post natal clothes that are suitable for BF in - i have done the vest layers thing before but thinking that might be a little hot over the summer. if anyone has seen anything - possibly wrap tops / dresses please let me know

Oh my! You are all v.organised.

shelly my medical notes have a birth plan template...cant write it out now but happy to once home..things like how you want third stage managed are also there and pain.relief of course.

Shelley - looks good. I think the only other thing as Cheek mentioned is the third stage (do you want the injection and a managed third stage or for umblical cord to be left attached until it stops pulsating and natural third stage) and what pain relief options you'd ideally like to use.

Re bf clothes - with DS1 (born in April 2006 and then had a long hot summer) I just wore vest tops and skirts or shorts (and hoicked up top and used muslins to cover up as needed). I have a couple of maxi dresses now that should be ok for feeding in. Check out Jojomamanbebe (dont forget the MN discount) which has bf tops too.