September 2013 - Definitely in the third trimester now!

[badguider]

New thread... will try to find the stats thread and link...

Welcome babycino Some on here are super organised, others not done much, others somewhere in between! We've decided to go to maternity led unit in hospital rather than home, and I'm planning an active birth, water if possible and just take the drugs as they come if I need them. That's all I'm 'planning!'

ION due to awful timing of a restructure in work I could be facing an interview for my job when I'm within my last 3 weeks. My boss is trying to hurry things along with the interviews but there has to be a certain period of time for people to challenge the allocated/ring fenced jobs so it's going to be once I've left and am on annual leave at least. I'm ringfenced for 2 jobs so will get one or the other, timing is just a pain when I'm going to want to be on chill out/wind down....great!

Thanks for the sling info ladies, knew you'd be brilliant! Will have a look about to see if we have a local sling group though if we do it may well be a Surestart thing and a lot of those shut down for the summer... ah well!

Am seeing the midwife tomorrow for routine 34 week appt (at 34+6) - is it weird that I'm super excited, even though I know she'll do literally nothing of note?!?

Has anyone else found out the sex of the baby but not told anyone? We had a scan last week (33 weeks) and asked the consultant who was doing it if he would tell us. He wouldn't say outright but said 'you have two boys already and it's time for a change'. He didn't sound entirely convinced though and reminded us that they can never be 100 percent sure. For some reason we're reluctant to tell people. I just feel I'll believe it when I see it. Is this really weird? I also feel a bit shellshocked, after two boys I find a girl hard to imagine. DH and I have already discussed whether we can ban pink...

I'm having a growth scan tomorrow and hope to find out the sex. We asked at 20 weeks but they couldn't see. If they're confident they can tell what it is, we plan to keep it a secret. It's not long until the big day now and I think it will be nice for DH and I to have a little secret. Also, part of me would be worried about buying pink/blue and be wrong. We've got everything we need in neutral colours. I'll be blue/pink shopping for the next 16 years!!

We found out the sex with DS2 and didn't tell anyone. It was hard though!
Went to see my friend and her 3week old DC3 yesterday - made me v excited to see my own version.
I have another consultant appt today and should get the date for my CS! And, I have a really really horrible cold and have to work.
I seriously feel like poo!

First of four nhs antenatal classes this morning. Will let you know the verdict...

Also a friend dropped off some stuff last night - a babybjorn, a baby bath, a babygym and a manual pump, a steriliser and some unopened packs of bottles. Phew!
The house is really filling up even though we don't have anything really important like clothes or nappies yet :)

Geese that's cool! :)
Kitten only had hiccups once or twice but they were low to the left (the first time I knew about it, baby was on the monitor at the hosp after my accident!)
In one of my mw notes there's a picture (looks like a sperm on it's side!) but no cryptic notes!
emmaD that sounds v scary! I'm not ready for any of us to pop yet!
frogchops- also getting pains in lower back last 1-2 days. I guess more of this to come?
juniper good luck moving house! What a stress!

Just remembered that I ordered one of those nice tshirt dresses from H&M online on 9th July. Still hasn't arrived! Rubbish! I feel like I've not got much to wear in this weather :( Yesterday when I got home my comfy loose black cotton trousers were literally dripping with sweat. Bloody horrible.

geeandfeesmum Midwives have asked me if I fancy a home birth (which I dont) and I'm a first timer :-S.

Welcome babycino81- sounds a bit stressful! I think it doesn't matter how it happens- if you go to your home town will it be your mum with you? Sounds good both ways! Prepare for either and see how you get on!

I feel a need for another rant, but first off... to reiterate what I said on FB- I really enjoyed the antenatal class at the weekend- was really good! Very useful.

We "finished" the kitchen at the weekend with lots of painting, putitng up lightfittings and wrestling with the blind. Just had the switches to do once the rest of the paint dried. And then the f*cking fridge-freezer stopped working last night. 1 yo, just out of warrantee (but we have no receipt as it was given to us by a friend who bought it for his elderly mother who died not long after). So pissed off beyond belief- managed to chuck some food in a friends chest freezer and borrow back our old smaller fridge from another friend (so that was a fun evening after a 12 hour day in 30 degree heat and no aircon) but part of our whole new kitchen design was around the fact we have a tall fridge freezer! Had a tiny argument with the husband about it all last night and cried myself to sleep. Slept terribly with thunder and rain (open the window) andd crying neighbours baby (close the window!) too hot (open the window!). I realised I've been nauseous for 6 whole months now, and I'm feeling really rubbish!

oh no fl0 sending hugs, sounds like a rotten day. at least you won't be too hot today!? having said that, with the windows closed, our house is boiling.

seeing as I was up early with this here storm, I thought I'd start packing these hospital bags! managed about 1/3 of mine and about 2/3 of babybear's. Making a proper list of things I actually want to take with me has been quite good, and I've discovered there are STILL things I need to buy! Oh and have a HUGE bag of yummy food snacks :)

Treated myself to some gaviscon this morning too.

I thought about doing my bag today,,,. But then remembered dp had helpfully put it up the loft :-/
Am also wondering if its a bit big...it's a small suitcase on wheels, I'll use it for mine and baby's things I think, just don't want to look like I'm moving in at the hosp

frog I'm thinking of packing a small case for me & baby post-birth, but having a separate (smaller) bag for labour to avoid looking like I'm moving in!

Aaaand.... I know this is premature but I'm already stressing about the way people especially dps family are with my baby. You might have heard about my vile SIL , she has 2 already and therefore mil has 2 grandchildren already. Due to vile SIL being so lazy, mil often took over dressing, munching, changing, feeding etc with her two. I don't mind this, but I do recall mil poking, squeezing cheeks, pulling dummies out Just to get them to wake up or 'just to see his eyes'! And also I remember certain members of his family taking off shoes, socks etc just to 'look at his feet' while he's asleep. I will not be happy with this. They're the kind of people who will have to pick him up even if he's asleep etc...and I want to be able to say, no, leave him alone. Am I being mean?

I'm needing a moan today too :( looks like it'll be weeks not days til I see the nhs physio so have booked privately for Friday. If someone could have just told me this last week I could have seen someone on Saturday :( I'm in pain and uncomfortable, not helped by having to stand and watch DDs first sports day.

All in all just feel like crying :( At least tomorrow and Thursday are days off (DD at childminder til 3pm...) so should get a rest, although cant get comfortable anywhere.

Me too I'm afraid. Thunderstorms went on for hours from 3am, I'm so stressed about the state of our house. DP hasnt finished a single room in 8 months and they are all covered in dust, tools, mess etc. He's a bit of a hoarder so there is nowhere for me to move it all to. He just keeps saying not to stress and it will be ok but clearly it won't. Once the babies are here he won't be able to do DIY every evening or take up floors to put in pipes etc but then it will never be done. I wanted to move next year to somewhere better for nursery and schools and if he can't finish a single room in all this time what hope is there?! It's his house and he won't let anyone else do anything. I spent ages last night blubbing about it. I'm convinced the health visitors will be appalled. I'm trying to
clean, dust etc but it's exhausting!

Jennimoo I hope you can get some rest over the next few days and the physio can help.

Frog - I think you are entitled to say what you want. I have concerns about my mil criticising and interfering. She means well but she acts first then says what she has done and then it all needs fixing (but she never learns and does it all again). Wow, I am crabby today!!!

Huge hugs fl0 and welcome babycino.
xx

Sending love and (diabetic where necessary) chocolate to all those having a bad day with DIY/ MILs/ pg symptoms. Hope things get better v quickly x

GRRRR. So, cross posting with a comment I made on Facebook (where we're all equally grumpy and tired), eventually 3 of my students wandered in to take their exam - they had all overslept because of being woken up by the storm, poor diddums. I supportively told them not to even bother with excuses as I'd been awake since 3.30am, being repeatedly kicked in the head by DD who was in our bed due to being terrified of the thunder.

To make the day worse, today's GP-based midwife appointment that I was so looking forward to has been cancelled as she's gone home ill. The earliest they can see me is next Friday when I'll be 35+1, meaning I won't have seen anyone in 8 weeks. I'm huge and that's concerning me, baby doesn't move much and that's concerning me, AND I had my 28 week bloods done 4 bastard times and the hospital have lost every single sample. NHS, I'M NOT IMPRESSED!

Rang the community midwives and had to leave a voicemail; when they eventually rang back it was to say that someone would give me a call tomorrow 'for a chat'. I WANT A BLOODY APPOINTMENT NOT A CHAT!!

I don't care if my appointment's been cancelled, I'm still leaving work at 3.30pm today. I'm going to sit on the sofa and cry, eating chocolate.

Sorry to hear others are having an equally shitty day. I sympathise!!

Well my MW appointment was uneventful. If I hadn't asked she wouldn't have told me when and who to call about labour or anything and my next appointment is in 3 weeks at 38+1 and as DD arrived 38+5 its not that unlikely this one might arrive by then...

She said it could be weeks til the physio sees me, so I booked a private one for Friday. Now I've got a call to give me an appointment tomorrow!

I feel like none of them really know what's going on...

Sorry to hear about these disappointing MW appts

We had our first of four nhs ante-natal classes today. Room was packed and there appeared to be about four more couples than they had planned for (cue dash for chairs) making us a group of about 26-28. Because of that we weren't able to do the 'discussion exercises' and MW just talked at us but I didn't mind so much as discussions can be cringeworthy.

This one was about 'normal labour and birth' and quite useful I'd say. Very specific to our hospital and triage and MLU vs Labour ward processes and proceedures.
I must say the MW came across as very anti-epidural, and pro water-birth (the two are incompatible)... but I guess we were talking only about totally smooth births this week. We're going to cover inductions, instrumental deliveries, CS, failure to progress etc next week...

I do want to avoid the epidural if I am well and 100% mobile and able to use the pool (the support actual waterbirth in both the labour ward and mlu) but I will reconsider if I have any issues or anything that stops me using the pool (induction, IV antibiotics, continuous monitoring etc.)

The only thing I hadn't considered was/is hiring a TENS. The hospital only has a couple of units. I think it might be good to have if for any reason I can't use the pool. Anybody else hiring one? What are you paying for it? Where are you getting it? Thanks.

jennimoo I take it it is the SPD causing all the grief? You have my sympathy. So, so horrible. Things that help me include standing with my back up against the wall and pushing my bum into it or holding on to the edge of the table and having my DH massage my lower back down to my thighs. But really none of these things help all that much. I really hope you get some decent physio soon.

twin Sounds hellish. I have a similar DH but fortunately he'd almost finished when we found out I was pregnant and I just haven't allowed any further room ripping projects. This means we have no drawers in the bedrooms but I'd rather plastic boxes than dust. I'm sure your DH will do his best to get it all done. Maybe try the email route that someone on the FB page tried for names. Good luck!

I'm interested in the TENS info too if anyone has any. I think it would be good to use before going to hospital and if I can't have a water pool. No option of an epidural at our hospital and the nearest epidural hospital is 60 miles away so I'm keen to explore all the pain relief options!

Thanks joskar, yep the SPD. Thanks for the tips. Any tips for positions to rest in? I had been sat on sofa with feet up (to avoid swollen feet...) but that's getting really uncomfortable now.

I'm finding it hard to concentrate / keep up so hello to the new people. If you'd like to join our top secret Facebook group just inbox me your email address and name and I'll send an invite.

Thanks for the sling advise badguider I think I will stick with the baby bjorn we got for free and pop along to a sling meet for later on.

Re TENS ladies, a friend who had her first last year said it was really helpful to have it, I think I remember her saying she hired from Boots, but i'm pretty sure you can hire from NCT quite easily. Only advise I've heard is not to test out before you're in labour as it can cause labour to start! But I guess this is obvious! I think we're going to hire one in a couple of weeks ready for B-Day.

frog stay strong and stick to your guns. Are your SILs kids awake constantly having had the family waking them randomly as babies?

Sorry to everyone having shitty days, just remember we're on the home stretch now, not long to go til we can meet our little ones and sniff them!

flo sorry about your bad fridge day! And also twin- sorry about all your DIY woes! I really do feel for you. We have just about managed to get all that needs doing under control (two floors of hall still to be repainted), but I can only imagine this would drive you up the wall, especially now with all these weird nesting hormones going on! Grr!

frog I think you need to put your foot down from early on, otherwise it will become normal and acceptable. One of my friends said she was going away into her bedroom to cry every day for the first month as her MIL was turning up every morning and not pissing off till n

Till night! Cooking (and not cleaning up after) meals for the entire extended family, harassing the baby ('her' baby) and generally being a horrible pest.

sgj i feel MW rage on your behalf!

Bloody hell everyone is having a crap day!

I just ate a naughty bit of camambert and buttery toast, and it was really really good...

jennimoo I avoid the sofa as it usually makes it worse. A chair with a shallowish seat and longish back is the thing I usually sit on but I combine that with getting up every so often and bending at the waist or slowly swivelling my hips. Have lots of cushions propped up all round you much like a fort. As far as sleeping goes then it's the Dream Genji all the way! I wake a lot in the night because of the pain but that's good because I shift position if I sleep for longer than three hours in the one position the burning in my hips is very bad. Take paracetamol. Try a warm (not hot) bottle at your coccyx. Try a warm bath.

I have the most painful coccyx pain each time I get up. DP rubs it occasionally for me but its only a temporary relief. It's the same when I stand for more than 2 mins, I felt I right ninny moaning in a queue in a shop today. I have to change positions during the night due to burny/numb type pain in hips/back/bum etc. this is no fun :-(

I bought a cheap non-pregnancy specific TENS from Lloyds Pharmacy when I was expecting DS. It has four pads and quite a lot of settings. I think it was about £20 and I've just looked on their website and they have two-pad ones for £10 up to £40. They say a big "not suitable in pregnancy" warning on them, but in comparison to the ones marketed for labour pain relief they are less powerful, so I am sure this is to up-sell to pg women rather than an actual safety contra-indication.

Anyway, I have been lent a Femme-Tens this time which has more settings, more power, and hopefully more battery life. The Lloyds one worked well for me in my 48-hour latent phase of labour first time, mostly in conjunction with pacing around the house but I also took the odd bath while it re-charged. I've been tempted to use it in this pregnancy when I have a tired back at the end of a long day, but haven't yet.

Sympathies to those with horrid MILs and MWs. I am sure that the heat/humidity is winding us all up a little bit though. I was awake, and I mean wide awake, until past 2am last night. I was nearly weeping with desperation to get to sleep. Went to work reasonably early this morning with the express intention of getting back home as soon as I didn't actually need to be there physically. It was 2.30 before I managed to leave, had about 90 mins nap on the sofa once I got home and now I need to do a bit of the work that I didn't complete in the office. DH and our cleaner who is also a painter/decorator have prepped all the walls and ceiling in the spare room and will be lining-papering it tomorrow. Then the big tidy-up before the MW home visit...