Due in August - part 5

[PinkTulips]

think it's part 5 anyway!

eeny, can i steal sal? he's a sweetie!

melsy, big {{{hugs}}} sweetie, i'm sure the hospital will be fine, that midwife sounds really lovely, i'd kill to get a look at my hospital records! hope it gives you some insight

arabica, thinking of you pet, hope it's more good news

i'm off to the beach again now as in a few days the chaos is going to start, dp's dad has decided to visit, our friend whos going to be the new babies godfather is coming up at the weekend, still have to buy a tonne of stuff for the christening, not to mention find clothes!, and then theres the bl*dy christening itself saturday week and all the insanity that will bring. need to take the opportuinty to chill out in the sun while i still can

Morning ladies hope your all blooming!

Wow its took me ages to catch up too! You lot cor half gas!

Well said Hoppybird, couldnt have put that better meself, women were put on this earth to give birth and no bloke would ever cope with it! I'm proud to be pregnant and believe its such a miracle I've got this far and will eventually have my baba here in 9weeks (if on time!). Havent had any strecth marks yet but if I get some I really dont give a hoot as there is a wonderful reason as to why it happens to our bodies! I'm on the bigger side weight-wise and have only ever got few silvery ones on my hips from years ago, so far so good! Its more to do with skin type too I think than putting on weight!

Salamander you sound a bit like my DH! He loves my bump and says I'm his wonderwoman ha ha! He loves touching it and I've even talked him round to cutting the cord at the birth which at first he wasn't too keen on! I know he'll be great support through it all and he just cant wait to become a daddy. He was away on a 2-day course over the weekend and he kept sending me texts saying how he missed us (me&bump)loads. Gets bit emotional too for a big chap - think he's got my share of pg hormones lol.

On the topic of breast pumps, I'm lucky enough to be lending a brand new electric one from a friend who only used her's twice and said its fantastic, not sure of the make n model though. I wont be needing to express until around 8 weeks when I go back to my weekend job which is only 5 hrs at a time anyhow so probably wont need to express too much.

Yellow, have you ever tried using the Avent Nipplette? Its designed to pump your inverted into outies? I sometimes have a slight problem with my left but I ease it out with my hands, and think its more out than in tbh.

Eeny which village do you live in? Sounds lovely! Lol at you wanting to try nappies on your teddies, hadnt thought of practising that way ha!

Pinky, so of you on beach!

Melsy/Booby hope your appointments go ok!

Have been watching the top of my bump dancing all morning, think my baba is all excited for some reason? Am at last wearing a lovely lemon summery top from Next, have had it ages but didnt fill it at the front, but boy I do know and everyone seems to be noticing more and more how big my bump is getting! Loving it loving it loving it!

31 weeks x

hoppybird - I liked your rant! rant away! :) Last night I was feeling all smug and kept going on about the 'party tricks' my body could do that Salamander's couldnt (making breast milk, not that I am doing that yet!) and it's true, we women are a really magical thing! Men, when they are doing what they SHOULD be doing are too - supporting the woman while she is making baby etc etc.
And thanks very much for that link - I have had a look and will actually try to get some of that stuff! It looks lovely and I am anxious to use something to try to keep my skin in as good of condition as is possible right now! I must admit I was really shocked baby oil brought me out in a rash, made me nervous about using it on our son when he is born. I won a competition though and won loads of organic baby skin care products so I won't have to buy anything new for a little while.

Olivo I can sympathise - Salamander and I have had our share of houseguests over the years as my family & friends are in America and even with the best of relationships it can be a nightmare! Glad when they arrive, glad when they leave!

Melsy I am wishing you SUCH good luck for your hospital appointment today and will go on your other thread as well.

Yellow I would love to see your birth plan - Me & Salamander are just starting to think about writing ours out and seeing some other ones would be good. Congrats on exchanging soon!!

PinkTulips, Sal is a sweety. I am really lucky, I have to say, I havent met any man like him, although I know they are out there!! He's going to get a big head reading this!! haha or !

I started a thread in childbirth about some anxiety I have been having about baby being premature - if any of you have any insight I would love to hear it!

PinkTulips

Why can't you get access to your medical records?
Everybody has a right to have copies of every bit of information about them kept anywhere.

It's part of the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.

Ask your GP/PALS/whoever for an ACCESS TO HEALTH RECORDS APPLICATION FORM.
There is normally a charge between £10 and £50 depending on the Trust and how much photocopying there is to be done.

But it's about you so YOU have a right to see and keep it.

Salamander

BHM - I live in Coggeshall in Essex, it is a really nice place to live! Glad your DH is such a darling!

Hey Eeny - that's wierd - I LIVE IN COGGESHALL TOO!! Howabout that!!?!?

Hey I DO have big head now!

Ohh whoops - sasgabgjkasdgkjabgk - there it goes smashing onto the keyboard!

Melsy, I can't find your thread! Hope your ok.

Eeny and Sal, obviously my BP is personal to me but you'll get the general idea of layout and what to put etc. I got some info off the web and off the thread I started on here. I think the general advice was to stick to bullet points to make easy reading so thats what I've done and put it in kind of event order.

Here it is;

Birth Plan for me EDD 13/08/06

I would like to have my baby in a "home from home" room if this is available to me on the day.
I would like my husband lala brain to be present during the labour and birth. (I've also added a bit about the possibility of dd being present due to circumstances)
I have no problems with a student being present at the birth however I do not want them to deliver my baby unless they have had plenty of experience (cheeky but thats my feelings on it)
I would prefer not to be attached to the monitor. I would like to be "listened" in to intermittently via the sonicaid. This is because I would like to be as active as possible during labour. I would like to use a birthing ball if one is available. I may also like to kneel over the head rest of the bed. I found this a comfortable position to use when labouring with my daughter.
I do not want any pain relief apart from entonox (gas and air) and the use of a TENS machine that I will bring with me. As mentioned I would also like to use a birthing ball. Please do not offer me Pethidine or an epidural. I am aware these are available and if totally necessary or I feel I cannot manage I will ask for them. I would also kindly ask that any needles could be kept out of sight where possible due to a fear I have of them.
I would like things to be kept as normal as possible i.e. lots of chatting and even have the tv on if there is one. I like to be distracted especially if I start to feel anxious, it helps me to relax.
During the birth I would like to be laying on the bed sitting upright.
I accept the use of ventouse or forceps if necessary and also an episiotomy again if it is necessary.
In the event of a caesarean section I would like (can't decide atm if I would prefer a general or epidural. Epidurals scare me witless!)
I would like the baby to be delivered on to my stomach/chest providing all is well. My husband does not want to cut the cord.
I would like the Oxytocin/Ergometrine injection to deliver the placenta.
I would like the baby to have the Vitamin K orally not by injection.
I would also appreciate some assitance with breast feeding.
I would like to stay in hospital overnight (1 day) at least if this is possible to ensure that the baby and I are well. I would also feel happier being around the Midwives after the birth. Also to establish some form of feeding be it breast or bottle.

Ta da!

Sorry for boring you all
It actually helps writing it out again!

not boring v useful espec for a first timer like me!

cheers YF

YF...Did you get your birth plan looked at when you had your dd? They didn't even look at mine once, which was very annoying seeing as though i had spent AGES thinking about it and writing it.

I am not even gonna bother this time, but then i am having a planned section so not much point anyway.

I am starting to get a bit panicky atm, my bump is huge and can't believe i have another 10 weeks left,where the hell is this baby going to expand to?!? lol no room left atm! god help me! finding it more and more difficult getting myself and dd dressed etc...nightmare!!

Well my MW wrote it with me last time. She made a special appt and came to the hosue and did it with me but I was just panicing about where exactly we would be at the time of birth lol!

I know some MW's may look at it and think "yeah right" but there are certain things in it which I need to happen.
Dh has read through it and he has strong feelings about some things too, like the Pethidine etc

Glad its useful

God you were lucky then, as i said they didn't even glance at mine and i was very afterwards, i just got asked things as the labour went on iykwim...very frustrating! then again my birth of dd was like a comedy of errors from start to finish!

How do you feel about your section?

It scares me to death thinking about a procedure like that but I am a bit of a wuss

YellowFeathers,

That is VERY interesting.
I hope they WILL look at it and pay close attention - maybe get copies laminated and hand them out upon entering!

We will impress upon ours that the BP is to be stuck to. I know it can go crazy on the day, but that is the point of the BP after all!

Salamander

Eeny is really worried about the same thing - expansion!
We probably have another 10-12 weeks and any more 'filling out' is going to mean Eeny crawls on hands and knees everywhere.

We hope upon hope that we can have the birth we want at the midwife-led unit, in water... but the worry that it could all go belly-up (no pun intended) is there at the backs of our minds all the time.

We're going to go on a tour of the Maternity Unit where I work - which we've seen from the inside a few times (!) but it'll just crystalise things for Eeny in case she HAS to deliver here.

I really do think seeing the hospital helps alot. It just makes things less strange on the day and one thing you need to be is relaxed.

We've had a tour of the Midwife Unit and it's really nice - private rooms like B&B rooms - the whole place seems very relaxed.

But in the event of a problem they take you on a 15min ambulance ride to the Maternity Hospital and it just makes sense that we should do the official tour there too.

Mums Best Book

Does anyone know whether the green Mums Best book which we picked up a few months ago from Mothercare is the most recent? Or when the new ones comes out?

Just wondering?!?!

Salamander

Thanks for that Yellow, it was interesting reading!! I am starting now to look into all the bits & pieces like vitamin k to work out what my preferences are. I guess when I see my midwife on the 13th I should have a list of questions ready!

I agree Eeny.
We'll bombard them! In a nice way! :)

Not sure about the book. If you start a new thread in the Site Stuff section, someone from MN towers should answer or you could email them.

The reason I chose the Vit K to be given orally is because the poor little babes have to have enough jabs etc in the first few weeks so if there is a least one alternative that has to be better.

(Btw for the first timers, get your dh's/dp's to come with you when your babies have their first jabs. You will cry )

Good point about the injection for the blighters YellowFeathers

Hi Everyone,

It's been an age since I have posted (sorry), but I've been trying to keep up with everyone's news when I can. Usually by the time I've got to the end, I haven't time to post anything myself LOL!!

BHM - thanks for thinking of me on your post the other day. That meant a lot to me.

Arabica - so glad things are looking good for you and your little one now. Was thinking of you.

Everyone else - I have been thoroughly entertained by your frankness on sponges, soap, pumps, leaks, pains, dreams, midwives, tests, holidays, stretch-marks, hopes and fears.

Nice to have so many new people on the thread, too.

As for me - a quick update - as the name suggests, it's twins for me! Pg going well, 32 weeks tomorrow. Lots of kicking and rumbling going on (my DH agrees with yours Misty re: aliens and generally not being into the whole pg shape). So far I haven't let it get to me, but you really don't need it do you...

For those who've been around a while, thanks for all your kind wishes when my Dad passed away - everything is as good as it can be.

3 weeks of work to go - if I make it that far. Need to check out that thread on packing a bag for hospital - anyone already done it? What size bag am I going to need?

Anyway, for someone easing their way back in, I've certainly gabbed on a bit. Better do some work, too...

Oh wow!
Hi PF2!!!

Glad to hear your well! Did you find out the sexes of your babies?

As for your bag, just a normal overnight bag should do it although you will have 2 of each

yellow - that was really useful - thanks for posting that.after 3 m/w appointments and (hopefully) only 2 to go (have been far from impressed with any of them but maybe I'm picky!), I'll probably only get help with it from antenatal classes. The m/w I met on the tour of the hospital yesterday was lovely though so there's hope!!
am starting to get nervous and 11 1/2 weeks still to go!