Graduated elderberries - 30+ and looking forward to DC1! (Thread 5)

[Alexandra6]

Hi everyone, hope you had good wkends, I'm looking forward to my holiday next Saturday (although won't be the usual sunbathing with wine flowing!), still can't wait just to relax especially as I'm feeling a bit rough and sick today! Work are piling on the pressure ahead of my hols but who cares, in one week I will be off for two weeks woop!

Just wondered when the really preggers people started to get lightning crotch/cervix pangs? So I can be prepared and not go into cervix panic!

Morning all - Purple, where are you? Sending happy labour thoughts...

Very busy week ahead for the berries, though don't think I'll be threatening any timescales with an early arrival... Just had a totally underwhelming midwife appt (36wks) with another different mw. She weighed me, and wrote me as 71 but it was clearly 70 cow couldn't work out where baby was lying so thought 'maybe it's a bit back to back' (little monkey has now come out of hiding and is sticking its back out to one side just to spite her, ha!)

And didn't write anything on my notes about fetal heartrate (I'm a geek, I like seeing it), position of baby or whether it was engaged or not. I assume not, but she didn't tell me either!

Harrumph.

Had some snuggles with our friend's baby yesterday, who's now 3 and a half weeks old - and still less than the weight of an average newborn (6.10oz ish). This was worrying when I realised the size of him. And his head

Discovered two things - one it's very difficult to cuddle a baby with a big-ass bump in the way, and two, I need to build up my arm muscles - they were aching after just 20 minutes!!

What news elswhere?

X-post Purple you had me all excited then! Sounds like OH is trying to be caring (however annoying it comes across lol). Hopefully BabyMonster won't keep you waiting too much longer

Talking of UTIs, I have had cystitis on and off for 10 days now, just when I think it's gone the burn is back....grrr. Getting annoyed now. The chemists who had been telling me it would clear up on it own have now finally given me stuff for it so hope I see the back of it soon. Will please my OH as DTD was becoming less and less likely.

Also in other news I wish baby would move around, although its nice to feel him kicking, being kicked in the bladder is less fun. It's odd as after having the scan I now know what bits I'm being kicked by, basically the little nudges I feel are his little feet dancing on my bladder...little minx!

No, supermarket visit to induce labour didn't work either.

oh and I've decided I may not start an exercise class but do swimming instead....lame I know. But I took the dog for an hour walk yesterday and was knackered afterwards, plus I had a really sore muscle down one side of my bump so figure I don't want to push it too hard. Perhaps I should find an aqua aerobics class or something? Is that me being really feeble and over cautious?

Brave - I think the tip is to always sit in an armchair or with pillows at hand - is amazing how tiring holding a teeny baby can be!

Shame it didn't work hazle. Maybe you ought to get your DH to get smashed or go an work miles away for the day to invoke the law of sod?

I'm cooking up a load of food for the freezer today. By the end if the day we should have enough home made frozen meals to last us a good ten days

Mother - swimming isn't lame at all. Is apparently very good for you, plus I think any exercise has got to be a good thing!

Purple how very dare you not be in labour!

Brave I agree cuddling a little baby a big belly combo is practically impossible!

Mother is your baby currently breech then? Mine was until 32 weeks and that feeling that a foot is about to break through your cervix is horrible! And swimming is a great exercise. I was swimming and doing Aqua-natal until my SPD got a bit too painful but it was really enjoyable while I could still do it.

Janey well done you! I considered batch cooking briefly and concluded that I will stay alive on DH's cooking and sandwiches when he's not around. I hate cooking at the best of times.

Sod's law didn't work for me at Saturday's wedding. DH asked how many drinks he should have and I told him to go for it in the hope that I would go into labour while he was plastered. I have also stopped shaving my legs for the same reason. Maybe when I am really overdue and fed up I will stop washing as well.

Janey that's a good tip! I fessed up to my tired arm on the way home and DP reassured me that it's actually a lot easier when it's your own - I suspect it's partly down to the fear of dropping him/getting it wrong that you're a lot more tense.

Was quite funny though as managed to rest him across my bump - which BabyBear thought was a fair cue to start kicking its soon-to-be playmate! Fortunately, the baby didn't seem too bothered by this!

Am impressed at batch cooking - I don't think we could even hold that many meals in our freezer!

Sooo supermarket didn't work Hazle what about a nice long train journey? Or a visit to a furniture retailer that sells lots of white sofas...?

Swimming is a good idea Mother - am hoping to do a bit once I finish work (two weeks and counting).

Lol Cavort that's hilarious! Wouldn't work for me alas - have already practically stopped as my leg hairs have almost stopped growing all by themselves and can go two weeks without needing to shave them (this is miraculous, I'm usually a hedgehog by day two).

I know Cavort, I'm not only letting myself down, I'm letting ALL of you down, I'm disappointed in myself
Sweep number 3 in half an hour so fingers crossed...again. Trying to invoke the law of sod, OH has got a customer's car in pieces today and needs to be around to put it back together again so me going into labour would be really inconvenient

Yes Purple, fingers but not legs crossed. Come on babyMonster!!!

Yep Cavort the little beast is breech, the foot is getting rather persistent and feels like he is tap dancing, especially after I've eaten. As I'm typing he is giving me a few hefty kicks.

I have quite a strong right arm from holding onto a pulling mutt when dog walking so I'm fine for a while, the left arm however is feeble so I'm in trouble when I swap arms.

How about sitting on the washing machine while it spins Hazel....could be fun and might work (in more ways than one)

Nice work Janey, I plan on doing some batch cooking too, we have a freezer in the shed so I'm hoping to gradually build up the reserves, I need to buy lots of tupperware first though! I was thinking of just cooking twice as much spag bol, chilli, casserole etc over a couple of months so ideally we have enough for at least a week or 2. Other wise my OH will have us living on takeaway pizza!

Mother mine always used to wait until I was talking to someone important at work and would then start trying to force her foot through my cervix while I had to try my best not to wince.

That's exactly what I do mother. Every time I've made a meal I've made double and frozen one, so got lots of chicken pies, bolognese and chicken tagine in the freezer.

Good luck purple - really really hope it works this time!

I am so glad Kim and Kanye have given their baby an unfortunate name. I keep getting asked if we have a name yet (have refused to tell anyone in RL) so I now say that we had decided on North and are having to have a rethink.

Well I'm doing my best, cervix has gone from 1cm on fri to over 2cm today and thinned out but mini monster's head is still merrily wiggling about all over the place not helping things so it doesn't seem like she's in a hurry to move so direct your impatience at her!

For those who like the gory details: this sweep made me wince slightly but still wasn't too horrid and midwife had a good two fingered, ouch poke which resulted in bleeding which is apparently a good thing. Off to walk up and down the stairs as many times as my hips will allow to try to bounce this babies head into the right place.

I really really thought that was a wind up but internet says it's true so it must be. Thing is, I quite like the name... (for a boy)... but with a surname like West? Get real!

Go Purple's cervix

FX Purple!!!

Odd questions, but does anyone else hate their new enlarged boobs? I just think mine are so ugly now, I'm up to a 36E and the are just so heavy and look yucky. My OH tells me they are awesome but I just don't like the size, shape or odd coloured nips. By the way the only reason I am mentioning this is because I had the misfortune of going bikini shopping at lunchtime. Got one full bikini and 2 new bikini tops which should coordinate with bottoms I already have, I will be feeling in no way like I am blooming when laying around the pool, I currently imagine I will feel like a walrus! Or an elephant seal sunning itself on a rock? God I'm a grouchy bitch today. Sorry.

Mother, I hate my new boobs. They weren't small to begin with (34E) and are enormous now! My nipples are a funny colour and bigger (sorry if tmi) and my DP isn't even a boobs man, and I'd put a lot of money on the fact he preferred then before (and even then would have been happy if they were smaller).

I do console myself by reminding myself this is what they're made for if mine ever start working but I still bloody hate them

Oh and purple - isn't 2cm really good? I'm sure I've seen episodes of OBEM where women have been in labour for hours to only get to 2cm? Really hoping it's a good sign for you!

Thank god I'm not alone Janey, yep my nips are a darker colour now with a distinct dark line around them, not nice. Plus as you say the are far bigger than they once were, feel like I've got saucer nips! Does not make me want to get them out for my OH! Plus they are big enough to actually be a barrier between us now.

I'm wishing for my 34c/d's, at least they were manageable! Once these go down I think I am going to be left with big saggy nan boobs. Sorry, really am a grump today.

Yeah I agree Purple, 2cm is really good! Here's hoping it is the start of something!

My boobs are still small but just horrid and veiny now, doesn't seem fair. I wouldn't have minded them getting bigger!

FYI, if you have a sweep and they tell you 'not to worry if you bleed a bit' it turns out 'bit' is equivalent to things hurting 'a bit' and actually means quite a lot better be worth it!

P.s I love the fact that my cervix has a fan base cheering it on

I think your cervix is fab - am impressed with 2cm!

Hope the bleeding stops soon. Although I think we're all about to have the period to end all periods. Gosh, so much to look forward to.