May 2013: 5 in the thread and the little one said, roll over - there's lots more on the way!

[Rhienne]

Running out of space over here so a new thread for all our fabulous birth stories!

Congrats Dizzi! Lovely name.

Good luck to all the ladies with twinges etc.

I've just seen my consultant to follow up on my pre-eclampsia scare last week. Things are looking better although BP still a little high. The BP added to the fact that a growth scan suggested that the baby is ALREADY 8lbs, means they have booked an induction for 2 weeks today when I will be exactly 39 weeks. EEEK!

I am not sure what I think about the induction. I think BrusslesMama was asking for views. I had an induction with my first and it did lead to a cascade of interventions which I do believe that I could have avoided if I had waited until my body was more ready. I think the key is to only agree to induction if you have a high Bishops Score. The Bishops Score is the number they give you when they examine your cervix, it combines dilation, effacement, baby's position etc. If it is higher than 6 or 7 then studies show induction should be successful. With my first my Bishops Score was 1 and I think that is why it was so bad. I will only agree to this induction on the day if I have a Bishops Score of at least 6. Until then I am going to try all the old wives' tales for preparing my cervix (um, lucky DH!).

Congrats Dizzi - beautiful name for a wee snuggler. Enjoy.

Another one here waiting. Just been for a stroll for a couple of hours, ate a whole box of fresh pineapple, sorted out bank account stuff and posted things I've been meaning to post for ages. Now what?? My boxset of Six Feet Under arrived today so maybe I'll kickstart that new obsession.

Tiger and Beaut I also have really strong movements still - last night it felt like she was going a bit mental in there...! She's head down, feet curled up to my left, and if I'm not being smacked in the ribs it feels like she's burrowing down into my pelvis so I'm getting it both ends .

38 weeks today!

I'm sure the old wives tales were actually invented by a man, I'm not really fancying sex or hot curry at the moment :o

Dizzi congrats! Lovely name.

I'm still here, due date is the 7th but I bet I'm still here long after that! Would love it all to happen now but it's unlikely considering DD was 8 days late. Thinking about some shiatsu massage to encourage my body into releasing this baby into the world.

38+6

Congratulations Dizzi, lovely name. There are so many girls.

Congrats dizzi! Newborn snuggles are amazing!

Birth story (read at your discretion):

Had early contractions starting at about 1:00pm on Friday. Waited until they were 5 mins apart before going to the hospital. I was fluffing my hair as we left so I knew I wasn't quite in active labor but second DC can come quickly so I thought I'd better get checked. I was 2-3 cm dilated and told to walk around for 2 hours (which brought us to 10pm).
I was 5cm dilated and admitted and ready for gas and IV narcotic!! The gas was amazing and I actually had a rest in mid labour with all the pain meds. Was much much better than last time.
Had to push by 1:30am but was only 8 cm dilated . Dr did a rimming and broke my waters which quickly dilated me but I also had a uterus or placental tear?!
I pushed about 5 times (was huge relief) and Oliver came out very quickly!! I did not tear at all - yay! But had too much bleeding so I had to have oxytocin and stay at the hospital longer than I wanted.

Oliver is sleepy (if babies come to fast they dont have a chance to get rid of the mucus in their tummies) but we are slowly getting the hang of bf and the after pains really are worse with the second baby. All in all it was about 13.5 hours from start to finish so much faster than DC 1 and I can't complain.

Hope everyone has similar or better!

Congratulations Dizzi, I love the name Fleur really pretty and unusual.

Congratulations dizzi!

I'm also still here and happy about it - 38+3 and don't feel at all ready for anything to happen yet, although I'm analysing every twinge and have convinced myself LO will be early!

Am nervous about being far from home now but just got back from lunch with friends and have a Physio appt tomorrow so trying to keep busy and hope the LO stays in for a bit longer yet! Or at least until after my bikini wax on Wednesday

Congratulations Dizzi! Enjoy these precious moments.

Arti, thanks for the info on the Bischops score, had never heard of it before. Am hoping to avoid induction, but we shall see.

Gold, thanks for another birth story. Finding it very educational to read all of them.

Seven DP isn't impressed that I'm not resting with my feet up on maternity leave. To be honest I think its only because my cankles every evening freak him out

Beaver I have the low down feelings too it makes me feel like I need a wee all the time.

Gold lovely birth story. I didn't know that about them coming quick.

Well I've just had my first day of maternity leave and loved it! A friend came to visit and we went for a walk and had lunch sat out in the sunshine by the river. Then spent the afternoon chatting and reading the papers. Luxury! I'm happy for the baby not to come for a little while yet....

Congratulations Dizzi and Gold!

39+1

Congrats dizzi!
Omg! Some please make my partner understand!!!
We've been invited to a wedding 12 days before my due date and the day after I finish maternity leave. It's a distant friend (of mine); he wants to go as his sisters are going but it's about 30 mins drive away. I don't want to go; I'll be knackered and feel frumpy and grumpy now- let alone then. I've asked not to go but he's adamant he wants to and will go with his sisters- this means he will come back absolutely smashed, no matter how much he promises not too. He was drinking last weekend after my baby shower, the weekend before with an old friend and the weekend before that at his sisters wedding. He's just moaned about life having to stop for the next 3 weeks... Excuse me!!! Aaarrgggghhh! When will men understand (sorry rant over!) x

Bunny I can sympathise with that. Not sure I can help much. DP over heard a conversation last weekend whilst on a family meal about everyone meeting up this Saturday for a friends birthday 12 days before my due date. I didn't even give him chance to respond I said 'dont even think about it'. He keeps saying 'If they go out for a few pints locally before heading into town ill just go to that. I'll only have one'( he never has one and threes about his limit anyway). I've made it quite clear to him a) I need him to get me to hospital should anything happen and b) I will never forgive him if he is drunk at our babies birth. Whether this will have any impact on whether or not he goes out this weekend remains to be seen.

Baby is really wriggly this evening. There is a constant foot poking out of my right side. I never really experienced seeing body parts through my skin so clearly with the first two its nice but a little weird also

I didn't even think about DP not drinking until last weekend when I asked him when he was popping out to get his beers as we had a friend coming up, he looked at me like I was daft and started laughing saying ofcourse he couldn't drink incase I went into labour.

beaut and bunny tell them that if they go out drinking they'll have a thread full of angry, hormonal/postnatal women to deal with!

Hi. Congrats Dizzi and all those who have already made it to the other side. Only 35+5 so feels ages to go yet, especially as first time was 13 days late! So I could be one of the last however this one lying wrong way at moment, so have scan tomorrow to see what happens next.... Excited about seeing him and bit nervous at possibility of a CS...

Congrats Dizzi. Lovely name. Hope the 2 of you are doing well.

2 more days of work left for me. Roll on Wednesday.

36+4

Congratulations Dizzi and thank you for your birth story gold.

Okay, I've got most of the stuff I need for the birth centre, just haven't got it in an actual bag yet. DP snaffled some of it before he realised it was for the birth centre. Honestly, proper food was his top priority last time, though strangely having being through it once he is less concerned this time.

I have finally, finally finished all my paperwork for work; just graded my last papers today. Many were just dreadful, utterly dreadful. I kept sending OMFG emails to my boss with quotes from them, I couldn't quite believe how bad some of them were.

DS and I are basically hanging out together til the baby comes now. Hoping to go 40+, just so we've got a bit of breathing space. Has anyone got other DC presents 'from' the baby? I sort of want to, but also worry its a bit hokey, or about manipulating him into liking the baby or something. My friend is like FFS! HE'S TWO. But, I can't help thinking it's sort of deceptive; it anticipates him not liking the baby; it supposes that he can't be trusted to manage his own relationship with her; it sort of implies that he has to like her. Which he doesn't. On the other hand, we're all getting something lush and he's getting a huge upheaval over which he's had no say and which will absolutely change his whole life. Why begrudge him a bit of Brio? I may be over-thinking this rather than worry about the actual birth...

38+5

Evening/morning

Having gone to bed at 10.30 surrounded by 3yo with cold- who I must remark has slept next to me lie a dream! ( only cos he's poorly!)

I'm not sure I personally have actually yet had a wink Of sleep. Between my own cold and the nocturnal acrobatics from no 2.....

Sparkly- I'm all for bribery DS is getting a train set ;-)

Oh dear Bunny. I'd be thoroughly pissed off if DH moaned about having to put his life on hold for three weeks - what the fuck have you been doing for the last nine months? Not drinking is not a big thing, how's he going to feel if he misses the birth of his child because he's pissed?

Sparkly we've got DS a present from baby sister. Didn't get anything big just some Jelly Babies, a couple of toy lorries and an ITNG magazine. I don't think it's bribery, more creating a positive first impression.

Morning

Sparkly my older DCs are 6 and 4 so they understand and are so excited for the baby that I am not doing presents. I think we may spend some money on special outings with DH once the baby is here. When DC2 arrived, and DC1 was only 2, I totally over thought the introduction. We bought a present from the baby and made sure I wasn't holding her when DD1 waked in etc etc etc. I wish I'd just relaxed as it was a weird and strained first meeting with DH and I all stressed over how DD2 would react. The poor girl was being watched like a hawk and artificially spoilt and she knew it.

I've been given sooooo many baby boys clothes. I've bought nothing myself yet but just counted my 0-3 month stuff (which is much smaller than the 3-6 month pile!) and there are 16 baby gros, 10 undervests, 6
tiny trousers, 4 summer cardis, 4 thick cardis, 12 pairs of teeny tiny socks, 3 summer hats, 7 warmer hats and 3 pairs of tinsy swimming trunks. That's just the hand me downs before gifts arrive. I don't think I will buy a thing!

Hi Sparkly. DS will be 24 months when this LO arrives, and I have also been totally overthinking the introduction. I have a huge stash of presents to give him if people turn up with stuff for the LO, and he gets upset that the present isn't for him. Last time we had a bday (mine) he was convinced anything in wrapping paper was for him. And though I can't find it again now, I'm sure I read somewhere here on Mumsnet that it was a good strategy to shower no1 with presents.

We have been reading this book, which DS has actually been really interested in that last few days, and just in the last few days he's also started to show lots of interest in baby dolls, so I got out the one I'd bought to give him when LO arrived. The last 24 hours have been all about babbee! Both the one in my tummy, and the baby doll.

We have small presents here too, plus we let DS choose a special cuddly toy for him to give to the new baby. Small treats when people visit are definitely good, I don't think it's bribery, just not letting them think the new baby gets all of the attention.

arti that's an impressive stockpile! I'm glad we're having another girl as DD is only 17 months so we have all of her clothes, I've barely bought anything except bibs as the old ones were grubby and a tiny dress that was so cute I couldn't resist

Having a few twinges this morning, I guess we shall see.

I got sucked in by the vouchers we receive in baby bags here (I guess a little like the Bounty bags I've seen referred to on Mumsnet in the UK). Get one free outfit from Shop X, so of course I got the free one and bought two others... We actually have everything we need from DS, but it seems nice to have a few new things for this LO. Am I odd to be worried that I won't be able to tell which is which in their baby photos, if they're wearing all the same clothes?

I found BF quite challenging with DS - got mastitis very early on and took a long time for it to become painfree for me. So this time I've been reading up on tips to make it go as smoothly as possible.

I found this today - which I thought was very interesting. Might be interesting for anyone else here planning on trying to BF:

www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html

DISCLAIMER: I have no idea of the qualifications of the author, or how well researched this article is.

Morning all. Today is going to be very exciting because the curtains and carpets are being delivered for the nursery AND the bookshelves are going up in our living room. You have no idea how many boxes this will get rid of, which are currently cluttering up our living room/hall/bedroom. For a woman in the desperate stages of nesting, today is like heaven. I can put up the cot! I can fold away baby clothes! I deserve extra biscuits for all the effort this will take, another bonus!

I also have a slight conundrum and wanted some views from those who've been there before.

My parents are on the opposite side of the country (a full days' travelling) and are being very sweet about not wanting to interfere or burden us when LO is born. But it will be their first grandchild, and TBH they'll be champing at the bit to meet her.

However...it means they'll have to stay with us, and probably for several days/close to a week. This in itself is fine for me - we get on well and I think I'll need the extra help and support. But DH is being a bit weird about it. Partly it's because I think he sees the two weeks of paternity leave as a special time for us as a new family, and resents any interference in that. Partly also it's because the timing of this little lamb ain't great as he's doing professional exams and will need to work during his leave.

My view is well, what about me? If you're off beavering away at a desk, where's my support? But from his perspective it makes doing any work at all much harder if we have a house full of people.

I think he needs to be more realistic about what having a new baby actually means, and how I'll be feeling. But I also know how stressed he's going to be anyway, regardless of our new arrival.

My parents are lovely and very well meaning and will do everything they can to support us and make sure we're happy. I don't see how I can stop them coming, and I don't want to. I've made sure DH has a quiet space to work in (although it's in our spare room, which my folks will be using) and not sure what else I can do.

Sorry, long post, and quite boring. But it's something that's playing on my mind right now.

Any ideas? And putting my folks up in a hotel isn't an option really.