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!

Yay Seven! Can I have a labour like that please? Love the name.

Thingie - that all sounds like labour is imminent. I'd try and keep active to help baby move round. You could also try evening primrose oil to help your cervix efface. Good luck!

Wowie Seven how very efficient of you!

Hoping baby doesn't make an appearance today, DH is away on business and not due to fly back till 10pm. Keeping everything crossed

Well done Seven, sounds like Thingy might be next. Good luck!

How wonderful to hear about all the new little ones arriving! Getting impatient now. Feeling very hormonal, DS aged 3 driving me mad. Had a couple of evenings of braxton hicks, now only occasional. A bit anxious about arrangements for DS and step daughter (aged 14). Her mum is partying all weekend so 'doesn't want her around' hubby thinks its ok for her to be here (for home birth!) clueless! Ho hum. Thanks for letting me vent.
Loving the birth stories, a wonderful reminder of what this is all about brings me down to earth.
38+2

Ooh, more babies!!

Bit late to Dizzi's news, but huge congratulations to you!

And Seven too - congratultions! Wasn't quite expecting to see yours just yet (maybe in a week or something just not yesterday!). Hope Beatrice will be out of SCBU soon.

You've both picked absolutely lovely names as well. This thread has great taste I think!

I've updates the stats (hopefully correctly)

Oh and I've just seen on fb that there's a new one arrived.

Really really should pack my hospital bag today. Don't think I will be any time soon though so I keep procrastinating!

39+1

Can't believe we're up to 12 babies now! And lots more to come.... Finally got around to putting myself on the stats thread (4 days before my EDD and only about 7 months after joining this thread!). I wonder who will be next!

Congratulations Seven agree we have taste on here another beautiful name. More boys needed to even the numbers a bit. Hope mines listening its getting on for eviction time. Hope you and baby are doing well.

37+6

Beaver re your parents. I personally would just let them come when they've planned. I bet you don't hear a word about it from DH once they and baby are there. I don't think men realise the full impact of a baby until its actually here. I'm sure your DH will be pleased to have a bit of respite and time to get his work done or time to spend with you with the support from your parents. Just tell him look do you want a stressed new mum on your hands( we all will be at some point) or a chilled out new mum that has plenty of support around. I only say put this spin on things as most men will do anything for an easier life. My DP thinks I can just magically make baby appear on Fri 10th so he's here nice and in time for DPs paternity

Does anyone have any plans for the bank holiday. I would really like to do something with the two ds's and DP. The weather is looking promising at the moment but obviously I'm scared to venture too far in case baby makes an early appearance although I'm very doubtful of that. We could go to a park a twenty min drive from us for a walk around and picnic as I thought the walking may at least help baby get engaged or take the boys to the zoo. Hmm anyone with any nice plans

Beaut if I could have my way my plans for the bank holiday would be giving birth!! Tomorrow woukd also be good as school is closed for polling.

Such wishful thinking I have.

I've now jinxed those dates by saying how handy they would be haven't I? :o

Terra haha no I'm sure you haven't. That would be my perfect plan as well baby in the morning of bank hol and sitting in the garden by afternoon. Oh we can dream

I've decided to tempt fate on Bank Holiday and do a family day out in Oxforshire. It's about an hour and 20 min drive from here but I doubt anything will happen. I want to pack in as much family of four fun as we can before our lives are turned upside down.

Has anyone here ever tried to find their own cervix? Some threads on MN talk about being able to check yourself for dilation etc. some women put Evening Primrose Oiil on their cervix to encourage effacement. I'm not sure I even know where my cervix is let alone what it should feel like.

How nice is this weather, sat out the front of our house with a brew. Toddler asleep and dog is getting his hair cut. Peace and quiet for me.

Fingers crossed for a nice weekend, were gonna take a trip to westbay so we can enjoy some fish and chips on the seafront. It's only half hour so not too far. DH wants to spend the day putting up wallpaper he can think again if it's nice.

InNeedOf lucky you, even the dog is being looked after by someone else. How those moments relaxing are precious!

My parents just took my DD out in the garden but it is so wet they brought her in to put boots on and she had a massive tantrum. I was supposed to be resting but had to get up. Now she is playing inside with mum and I am up. Oh well....

Oh and your weekend plans sound great. Man I miss fish and chips!

The hour to myself is very rare. It took me half hour to put away the massive food shop that we have done. The peace didn't last long, DD woke up helped herself to a chocolate egg from the fridge and eaten most of the foil. Gonna be a shiny poo in there.

Yeyy congrats seven lovely name its soo exciting and very scary now the babies are coming thick & fast xxx

Congrats Seven and all the best Dizzi, I hope you got some more support from midwives and have a better idea of what's happening now. Good luck!

I have been really enjoying my first day of mat leave by sitting in the backyard in the sun then got some stuff sorted (washing, tidying etc) then hot choc and vanilla slice with DP in next door village. Lovely! Got an email saying my pram type won't be available till mid June or later as its been delayed think we might have found a similar type but still a bummer.

DP and I are planning on spending a day/night in Kendal with his folks over bank holiday. It's 2 hours away so will take hospital bag and car seat and there are plenty of hospitals along the m6 if required

Baby needs to wait till after my hair appt tomorrow then she is free to turn up whenever, haha. Hope everyone is coping ok with new babies or aches and pains of last few weeks. Nearly there!

Congrats Seven - you had a sense you'd go that early didn't you . I love the name & Bea is gorge for short too.

I have a v nocturnal baby on my hands but she is so cute. It feels like my first all over again.

Good luck all waiting - I usually go way over so know the value of perseverance - they'll be here before you know it x

Arti Ive never tried it and wouldn't have any idea how to feel cervix either. But hmmm I wonder.

Bood I can never sleep properly with a new born anyway whether they sleep or not as I can't stop checking/staring at them. I think that I will feel like its the first time again when ds3 arrives especially when the older ds's are at school

Congratulations seven. That was quick!

Thanks everyone for your perspective on presents for DS, I think I will, in the end. I got 'Our New Baby' in the post today, and we've read it a couple of times, but I did think I detected a bit of eye rolling when I mentioned the baby earlier...

Agree beaver that you should go ahead and arrange it to suit you - my DP had all sorts of mad ideas about what the whole thing would involve before DS came; he often talked in a delusional manner about what I would be doing during maternity leave and thought it might be wise to bring his laptop to the birth centre so he could work while he 'waited'. All that stuff pretty much ended when he witnessed the actual labour - though he did sometimes underestimate how wrecked and vulnerable I felt in the first few weeks.

I'm not going too far away from home at this point but otherwise think the best thing is to have lots of plans rather than hang about waiting. Obvs nesting is really starting to hit; I deep cleaned the bathroom today and have got everything I think I need for the birth centre, which is:
overnight clothes
maternity pads
clothes for the baby
nappies
nice food, soy milk and tea (the birthcentre has a kitchen)
The only thing I think we're missing is our wrap - my friend bought me one, but lives in Manchester while I'm in London, we haven't seen each other and I keep wussing out of asking her to pop it in the post...
What else do I need? (Honestly, I have done this before...)

39 exactly

Overdid it a little yesterday. Ended up playing tourist guide for some visitors and this combined with onsetting humidity and too much driving made my feet and ankles swell to new heights. Yuck! Thankfully they are looking much better today.

Has the first official May baby arrived yet? Love seeing all these super cute pictures on FB. They are all gorgeous!

Going to pack my hospital bag today. Am unsure of how much to pack. Will be spending two nights in the hospital (which is standard here) but they'll charge for things like nappies. How many outfits/sleep suits, nappies, maternity pads and clothes for myself should I bring? I think I might pack several smaller bags, then DH can fetch them from the car when we need them.

Hi ladies,

Congratulations to all who've had their babies!

I am 40+2 today and just had a bloody show this morning, excuse my language! We went to see the midwife yesterday who offered a sweep (rather early, in my opinion, but bring it on) and she said as this is DC3, my cervix is already 2cms - that's apparently normal with second, third etc babies but not a sign of impending delivery. So she gave me the sweep which was not as bad as I expected and I got a nice pub lunch and a half pint with DH afterwards I made him take off half a day in case something happens and at one point I had regular strong contractions 14 minutes apart, but by 10pm it all stopped. So we all went to sleep. I hope something kicks off today though.

Thanks all, Beatrice is doing well, she's breathing perfectly now and is just in a normal cot. She's also off her drip, bottle feeding fine and can hopefully come out of SCBU onto the ward with me today.

I'd recommend anyone who does feel brave enough to enjoy family time with their DCs during the BH weekend. We wanted to go to the zoo before the new baby arrived but didn't manage it unfortunately.

Hope everyone has babies soon who wants them, and the rest stay put until its convenient!

DXB I'd say 3 tops/pairs of pants/changes of clothes for baby, around 20 maternity pads and take a whole small pack of nappies.

Oooh exciting MrsB. It sounds like things are getting going.

Good news about B's progress Seven. Enjoy lots of lovely cuddles today.

Sparkly, are you at a London based birth centre? Where is it? I looked for one but couldn't find and independent ones.

Hello ladies. I haven't been on this thread for ages I hide in the Gemini thread
Congratulations to everyone who's had their babies.

I'm 36wks tomorrow. Bump has dropped. And I've now hit the paranoia with BH stage. Eek.