Due in September 2006- part three...count down to summer!

[Coriander73]

New thread Bella...as promised!!!

Sorry to hear about the flu Normsknockers and still being sick. I'm having loads of movement too which is lovely, although not too sure when this one actually sleeps!!! My midwife is up at my local hospital. It's not the hospital I'm going to give birth in though because they only offer a midwife led unit. We've been busy doing DIY trying to get things sorted. Had a carpet delivered today for the room that will be ours. Really want to start getting all ds clothes out and seeing what we need and also want to pack my hospital bag - don't know why I want to do it so early but just have the urge. Will try and wait at least until August - lol

Forgot to say that I'm a fan of G.F. too but only cherrypicked bits about routines, blackout linings and laundry tips etc, I couldn't do it to the letter, I'm too disorganised and I'd never have got out of the house.

I do think that reading her book set me on the right track about starting the day at 7.00 a.m. in order to get plenty of daytime feeds in so there was a greater chance of ds sleeping at night rather than feeding lots in the night. If we'd had a rough night, we'd both sleep in but otherwise I tried to stir myself and him into action for the day as soon after 7.00a.m. as reasonable. To a first timer her tips on looking for sleep signals and acting on them and the bit about small babies not really being capable of staying awake for more than 2 hours at a time was very enlightening.

I think it's just bthe flu bug making me sick, I was doing well before this weekend with only a few vomits a week since stopping the medication.

Norms - they were exactly the same bits we cherrypicked too, especially the maximum time they can manage awake - as long as we kept that in mind we could alter the routines to suit us if we had stuff to do - and so many of my friends were saying 'oh, s/he is so good and lively, staying awake all day' and then not understanding why they wouldn't sleep at night. It's an essential of parenthood I think to understand over-tiredness...

...which is what I am today - spent last night till 2am in A&E with DS who was diagnosed with 'croup' - poor little guy, he really couldn't breathe properly and was so unhappy. I always seem to think the worst part of being a mummy is when they're throwing a wobbler in a cafe but I was reminded last night that it's actually when they're really ill - I felt so upset for him He seems better today though so fingers crossed he's over the worst.

Sorry to hear that you're feeling ill yourself Norms - hope you get better soon :)

Compo - I had really bad 'itch' reaction to new carpet fibres with DS so you might want want to think about being out when it's laid and get someone to hoover throuroughly before you get home - good excuse to not be around at least! :o

Dh often wants me to keep ds up a bit later so that he can see him when he gets home but we generally pay for it in stroppy behaviour/tears throughout bathtime and storytime. If you stick to the usual bedtime deadline however, everything is usually so much more pleasant and agreeable for all of us including ds.

awww liquid - so sorry to hear about your DS - trips to A&E are the pits. I hope he's better soon X
Well I just got back from seeing the midwife. I was 45 minutes late going in for my appointment - which as I am sure a lot of you ladies know - that's no joke when you've got a bored toddler in tow.
She did my bloods again as I have been so tired lately I am convinced I'm low in iron.
Anyway - she obviously felt gulity about keeping me waiting - as she's arranged the next visit to be a home visit

Norms, so sorry to hear about the flu. Hope your family is better soon.

I think I'll order GF's book just to grab those nuggets of info mentioned - to weave into what we're using from Baby Wise. Anything helps. We definitely need a refresher course.

Mabel ... it's high of 32C here and extremely sunny but would trade you in a minute! Must get A/C man out today, as it's 26.6C in our bedroom at night! One-half the A/C system works; we think the rest was damaged by hail from that tornado earlier this year.

Of course have to travel to see Dr.- his office & the adjoining hospital are 7 minutes in the car, door-to-door.
Last visit, asked him about US Drs. compared to UK midwives. He said midwives' hands-on experience in many cases more than makes up for the further formal training US doctors receive. Said midwives take greater risks (towards having natural births) than in the US, but only since the threat of lawsuits here are so high. In US if there's any chance something might go wrong, Dr.s pull out all the surgical and technological stops to ensure they can prove they did all they could, should something happen and the issue go to court.
Did you know the C-section rate is nearly 30% here? Compared to 6% in UK. Had a very progressive Dr. in Houston, letting me labor 48 hours!

liquid you poor thing!

and wow for home visits!!!! i'm up at the hospital for all my checkups - not too bad as i don't have any bored toddlers in tow but for the future, i'm sure it'll be a nightmare!

Thanks for the GF tips everyone - totally agree that cherrypicking is the best way to go and of course i'm sure i'll be keeping you all updated when it all goes drastically wrong.....

got soaked in the rain this afternoon , but treated myself to a starbucks chocolate chip frappucino - I know it's the devil's company, but it was soooo worth it - at least i know where the extra weight is coming from now!!!

have a good evening everyone, and am off to the physio tomorrow to sort out my blessed left calf muscle!

Thanks for sympathy all, just about to put DS down for bed so hoping we have a better night tonight- fingers crossed!

Mabel - with DS I felt really tired all the way through and had symptoms of anemia (fatigue, short of breath, very pale etc) even though my iron level was hovering around 11 - 12 which isn't technically anemic. I took iron anyway as part of pregnancy multivit which you are allowed to do after 12 weeks and it made me feel tons better - I think your body just needs more energy when pregnant. The only thing is not to take with tea/coffee as they stop you absorbing it properly (and you'll need to eat plenty of fruit to keep things running smoothly !).

Liquid - I was anaemic all the way through with DS, so although my bloods were fine at the beginning this time round, I am worried that the iron level has dropped, am still taking pregnacare and do eat quite well, I do remember iron tablets making me constipated last time though

Marls - your US doctors sound a little like our UK cosultants. When I had DS he was getting ditressed during the delivery and the consultant wanted to intervene and use a ventouse , but all the midwives were shooing him away saying 'NO - she can push him out herself!!!' - so i did!
Cannot believe the level of C-sections though - is that due to Dr's intervention or elective c sections?
I read an article last year saying it was now available for women in the US to have a C-section at 36 weeks if they wanted to, as it's that last month of pregnancy that really wrecks your figure!!! Crazy!

i also heard that drinking OJ when you take anything as an iron supplement (on its own or part of a multivit) really helps with absorption

strangely enough i got told to stop taking my multivits because they had iron in them as my iron levels were so high, but i've now had to start taking the multivits again for the calcium etc...

hope this helps

Liquidclocks, sorry to hear that your ds has croup, mine's had it a few times and normally the first night is the worst, so fingers crossed for you.

Marls, I'm not eating cookie dough but I am eating cookies (maryland double choclate chip, they are like heaven). Have gone off loads though, meat makes me vomit, I'm living off toast, cheese sandwiches and potatoes, not the best diet, and like mabel I was aneamic all the way through with ds so I should really be trying to eat more.

As for Gina Ford, I used the contented little baby book as a rough guide when I didn't know what to do, followed her weaning guide for the same reasons and brought contented baby to confident child to laugh at her methods (now I'm all sorted and don't need her anymore) Think she's fine as long as you use her as a rough guide and i'm very grateful that her books were there when I had PND and couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Liquidclocks, have already read her chapter on nighmares and night terrors and have to agree, his routine has been slipping lately and he is improving now I'm getting him to bed on time.

Very of all these home visits, my midwife is only at the end of the road but she is always late and because of her surgery times I always have a tired toddler with me. Wish I could just lay on the sofa for the rest of my pregnancy and have everyone come and do stuff for me [lazy cow emoticon!]

Hi Mabel -
Good for your midwives!! Was heartened to know that one of the nurses at hospital where I'm due to deliver is a midwife from UK. Though, I do like Dr. a great deal and he seems to be another of the "lenient"/down-to-earth ones when it comes to procedures.

Have not heard of planned C-section at 36 weeks except when the baby will be in distress if gestation continues. VBAC, though, is frowned upon and rarely done, so once a C-section here, almost always a future C-section with the next baby.

Pg women can also decide to have them regardless of baby's condition - to know exactly when the day will be, to avoid labor altogether, etc. - but near due date, not at 36 weeks!! Not what I would choose for myself, but it is an option. So, probably the 30% = both intervention and mothers' choice.

One new thing some Dr.s will do, if you must have a C-section, is sew your stomach muscles back together while they're in there. Saves a lot of gym time, but IMHO not worth it unless you know that baby's your last! (Stitches dissolve, but if the muscles are going to separate again anyway, why bother?)
Speaking of gym, going off now to eat more cookie dough {smile]

marls - it's really interesting how differently they do things where you are. I think it would be brilliant if we hd a choice of a c-section here - I don't know if I'd go for it because of the recovery but the choice would be nice. And it would be lovely to know when, where and how the baby was coming!!
I didn't consult GF last time but with this being no.2 I might have a quick look - as the option of sleeping when the baby sleeps won't be available this time because of looking after ds a routine might keep me sane. My sister picked the bits she managed and now has a 9 month old and 2 year old who she has mnaged to get to nap at the same time after lunch which is very appealing - although at 2.6months when this lo comes unfortuntely I think ds will have waved goodbye to his afternoon nap by September

Bella and everyone*- our repeat scan is because they found a problem with the baby's kidney at the 20wk scan. They're going to check if it's a serious problem or something less serious. They think it could be a hole in the kidney with a broken connection between the kidney and bladder. This could mean anything from a non-functioning kidney to the need for a small procedure after birth or even nothing at all as holes and gaps sometimes close up by themselves. Sorry I haven't told you all before but I found it difficult to talk about.

Norms, sorry you've been feeling yucky. Hope your DS manages to escape it.
Lysettes, that's right about the OJ as Vit.C helps with the absorbion of iron.
Liquidclocks, sorry to hear your DS has croup. Poor wee lad! Hope he feels better soon.

Bella, I would think the need for a hysterectomy is very rare unless you have a placental abruption or something. Try not to worry and if you need reassurance ask to see the consultant (which you're entitled to do.)

So sorry to hear you're going through that worry Homemama. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that the next scan brings good news xxx

homemama, fingers and toes crossed here for you as well, and i'm so sorry that you're in one of those situations where you have to prepare for it to be something, and it could all be ok.

here's to it all being ok! [raising glass of v healthy OJ]

Mornimg all!

Homemama - keeping everything crossed that everything turns out ok for you and your lo.

When my midwife went through my notes yesterday she mentioned that my due date is the 7th, i've been telling everyone it's the 8th. Only a day I know, but a day closer!!!! Yikes!
It dawned on me I have just over 15 weeks left if I go full term, I 'm not sure if I feel ready!

p.s. it's just occured to me that HellKat hasn't been on for ages and she's normally on everyday.
Hope everythings ok HK!

Homemama, hope your next scan is reassuring and I'll be keeping everything crossed for you x

Homemama - sorry to hear that you have this worry, as you say lots of times these things turn out to be nothing and all will be ok. Will be keeping things crossed that we both have better news on our next scan

Mabel - yes you are right, not hear from HK lately..........hope she is ok.

All this talk of books is making me want to go and buy one so will be popping into Waterstones at lunctime to purchase..

good luck with your book purchasing Bella - it's minefield of child rearing manuals out there!!!

Some advice on book buying, buy ONE, read only ONE or you'll get so confused by conflicting advice!

my advice would be get them out of the library instead of buying them as you might not want to read them ater the first chapter!!

Calvemjoe - too late, have purchased the contented baby book and the baby whisperer.
To be honest your advice sounds very sensible, no doubt I about the confuse myself.....