September 2013 - Definitely in the third trimester now!

[badguider]

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

Wow that dad to be course sounds good badguider where did you find it? And you've just made me realise that I know NOTHING about the third stage. Nada. Can anyone educate me a little?!

The strep B / meningitis stuff sounds v scary too...not that I know what strep B is.

Jeez I'm feeling dumb today

I read the stuff on the NCT site today which is a bit pro natural birth but gave a bit of info on the decisions you need to make.

You need to decide if you want to delay cord clamping, and whether you want an injection to help the placenta come away. And who's to cut the cord!

Ick juniper glad they caught it early, gives you plenty of time to know exactly what to demand to avoid a scary kips situation. All these things you never think or know about! Starting to get all scared again about things that can and do go wrong

badguider your dhs course sounds awesome, who ran it?

[Slides in at the back, really really late]
Just found this thread! I'm due on 2nd September... Please may I join you?
BEAM

Hello ordinarygirl! We have a FB group too if you're interested. Inbox me your email and real name if you are. Two babies are currently competing to be the first by the looks of things and we're being kept up to date on there.

Hi ordinarygirl

Thanks jennimoo will scoot on over to the NCT site and do some revision!

The course was organised by a local charity / social enterprise called "the pregnancy and parent centre" which is where I dot yoga and where the LLL meetings are etc. they find their work for everyone with nearly new sales and get funding for work with vulnerable groups.
They have bf drop-in, baby massage, baby music and mum and baby yoga for after the birth too.

badguider is that in Edinburgh? One of my best friends telt me yesterday that she is going to have a baby in January and she lives in Edinburgh. Are the details online?

kips That sounds awful! So frightening.

kitten Don't your antenatal classes cover the third stage? Ours did. It was very useful. Our hospital automatically do delayed cord clamping so it's worth finding out what is "normal" for your hospital.

Here you go joskar pregnancyandparents.org.uk/

Ignore the fact the websites a bit rubbish, the centre is great.

Good point joskar, we haven't done the nhs classes yet as I was late sending the form back - first one is next week so hopefully will get some info from there

Hi!

I'm due September 17th and am the only person I know who is pregnant. Just saying hello as I'm on maternity leave and am feeling a tad lonely and no one really to chat to about babies / stuff. Hope your pregnancies are going well! nearly there now...

x

Morning all! I know I've been a bit silent of late but am still lurking... Just had not much to say as luckily all still uneventful here.

Welcome ordinary and Rosa.

Have finally sat down and done the maternity leave finances and am quaking in terror. broke is not going to be the word. I knew it was going to be bad, but the reality is even worse! Penultimate proper pay day yesterday. But I won't have any time to spend money, right? Right??? And have just had second realisation that nursery fees once I go back will eat about 50% of my pay. Are all parents just poor forever?

And I dropped my phone this morning and smashed the screen. No insurance. Arrrrrgh. AND have just put car in for MOT, which it never passes first time, so am on tenterhooks waiting to see what the damage will be this time.

Sorry to hear about the strep B Juniper - horrible for you. Is anyone else getting testers for it? Our NCT teacher suggested we did, with one of the kits that you send off yourself to a lab, for about £35, but I'm not sure. Any thoughts?

ION (and then I will shut up), having moaned about my NHS antenatal classes so fulsomely before, I have to say that the NCT ones have been brilliant so far. Much more information, much more balanced, really can't praise them enough. And this from someone who was expecting to hate them.

Oh no, I lied, one more thing! I'm not on FB - who's looking like they might pop soon jenni?

Mooster, from what I've read online those DIY kits are massively unreliable. I think if your urine samples have all been ok then you're probably ok, but best ask your midwife.

I haven't done anything official about maternity leave yet! Haven't even got my matb1 form- I asked the midwife and she printed it, but then forgot to give it to me. On summer holiday now until September so will have to do it all in the few days I'm back, I guess. Woops.

Oh juniper what timing! And how worrying for you, I don?t even know what strep b is but from the messages lots of others seem to have good advice for you.

Thanks kips feeling much better now but have missed our last antenatal class ? ?baby knowhow? for when you get home, eek! Will have to read up. Our birthing class didn?t mention cord clamping and I didn?t ask in case I looked like a know it all Will ask when we go on the tour of the maternity ward in case they have a policy on it already.

Hi ordinary girl and rosa! Rosa you?re due 3 days after me

Mooster the finance stuff is scary especially when you first work it out. Oh how I laugh when I think back to DP saying he could ?put another £100 a month in the joint account? He soon realised when I showed him my SPREADSHEET and now we?ve worked it out properly we?re saving madly.

Mooster - the two who are possibly close aren't that regular on here so don't went to post anything in case they'd rather I didn't! Sorry!

Seen another physio and it does seem to be a case of wait and see, although have a clear set of exercises to do pre and post birth. I didn't realise the SPD is likely to continue whilst BFing! I didn't get it in previous pg but was BFing when I got my BFP so my ligaments and stuff never got back to normal... Doesn't mention that in any of the BF bumpf...

Mooster, remember that if your employer offers salary sacrifice childcare vouchers, you can take these right from when baby is born, not just when you go back to work. This is especially good if you go down to SMP because they can't deduct off SMP, so it's the closest thing to free money...

Ok, does anyone have like a gnawing/craving feeling that they can't satisfy? Sort of like hunger, except i feel full. I think it's caused by the baby rubbing up against my insides (he's very active)....I feel like if I could work out what it is I need then it would be the best feeling ever...as it is I just feel constantly nauseous & unsatisfied.

Okay, does anyone have experience of low/normal level of amniotic fluid? Just had by placenta scan at 33 weeks (it's moved, hurray) but my a.fluid is normal but the low end and I've advised to speak to my midwife. I've an appointment on Thurs but I don't have much faith in her.

I assume it's to do with the vomiting and diarrhea I've had?

Ready I'm constantly thirsty at the moment - I feel like I'm craving something, but food just looks/tastes so dry I need a pint of water to wash every snack down with - including ice cream and carrots!

Also ... having now filled the living room with baby things and ticked of pretty much everything from the shopping list, I'm now seriously terrified of something going wrong. Almost as bad as those first few months. I'm so scared of what will happen if babybear doesn't survive and I'll have a house full of things for him (and a little bear cardigan!). It makes me cry almost every time I look the baby stuff. I think it is turning me a little bit mental. My best friend lost her little girl just after birth, as did DHs mum, so this doesn't feel totally irrational. My friend's first advice to us was to not buy anything other than essentials so I can pack them away if the worst happens, but we have so much stuff now that there is no way we could pack it away. Also, the nursery will look so, well, like a nursery ...

Do I just need a slap around the head? I don't know quite how to calm these fears. Is it just me? I keep seeing stats for baby deaths as I read up about labour and stuff, and whilst part of me can understand that 9 per 1000 is quite low ('negative outcomes' of homebirths for first time mums), all I really focus on is the 9 ... which seems like a lot of babies to loose or have severe disabilities

Good point rake - must look into this. I got a bit confused because my employer doesn't seem to do the childcare vouchers, but does do a salary sacrifice scheme for the on-site nursery, so not sure if that works the same way. Might try to talk to HR...

Of course jenni - sorry, didn't mean to put you in difficult position.

juniper from what I remember I have to give the matb1 in 15 weeks before you're due or you don't get mat pay, or don't get it on time or something (i have forgotten everything, but remember thinking it was very important and that i mustn't forget at the time). Anyway, worth checking before you go back after the summer?

You will all no doubt be relieved to hear that my car passed its MOT, so I can pay the mortgage for another month!

Dorita horray placenta has moved! When I had my scan the songrapher said that the fluid measurement towhat is normal varies so much - mine was on the higher end of normal but then she said she could measure me in a week's time and it would be different again. I'm sure it's because you've been unwell but I would mention it to the midwife - sounds like you mighthave another scan.

Running have you had a test for diabetes? needing lots to drink is a common symptom.
I totally understand your fears too - I am exactly the same. I think it's because I had a MC last year too that I am just that worried. I thought about only getting essentials but we have everything because people have been lovely and kind and given loads. My mom has also gone knitting crazy and we have some gorgeous little cardigans. I do think it's completely normal to have these fears though but we have to try and stay positive.

I am so glad it's the weekend - 2 more weeks to go before I'm on maternity leave from work

Running I know needing lots to drink is common in pregnancy too - didn't want to suggest it wasn't or cause any concern

Just a point on the mat b1....don't panic too much. You have to confirm in writing 15 weeks before birth, but the mat b1 is different- ur employer needs it to claim the statutory pay so you just need to get it to them before you go on mat leave.

Can someone recommend a car mirror that can be used for a backward facing baby seat? I feel like I'm getting myself in a twist now! The car seat is backward facing right? So does that mean there need to be two mirrors?