Due in July 2013 - newborns to the left of me, big bumps to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you babe!

[SlouchingPanda]

Hello shiny new thread!

Morning all. Huge hugs to those still waiting for babies, how are you this morning silver?

Birth story sounds brilliant phie!

Sympathy with those coping with dm/
Mil issues. Mine stayed the first 24 hrs home from hospital but has now gone. They are wonderful help but it can be a mixed blessing!!

Glad your trip out went well, Phie. A couple if old ladies looked like they were about to collapse when I told them N was born the evening before on our first supermarket trip. I think they still expect us to be in hospital for a full week like they were. Babies definitely attract a lot of attention. It's quite nice really.

Slouching it's tough dealing with having your mum there and feeling its a bit intrusive but also a massive help at the same time. My mum has been helping me loads again, I haven't had a single negative comment or look but I still feel under constant scrutiny.

Morning all, congratulations to all the new arrivals in the last week or so -there have been so many I can't remember you all. Good luck to those still waiting. Really the end is in sight. No one stays pregnant forever!

Those with new little ones sound as though you are doing a fantastic job with the feeding, sleeping, getting out and about. We have ended up co sleeping again (having only recently managed to get dd1 out of our room).F seems to be on a feeding frenzy at the moment and I'm shattered.

I have been reading most days but not posting - feel like I'm going through some dark days at the moment. Still feeling bad in myself both physically and emotionally. This coupled with school holiday hell and its not been a good ten days or so. hoping that once I'm properly back on my feet everything will look a little brighter. Certainly hope so anyway.

thinking Theo has been on reflux meds since 3 weeks of age, diagnosed after he went blue and stopped breathing when I gave him his Styron (we were still in scbu thank god!) he has hiccups and sneezes all the time and I have to hold him up right after feeds, have his Moses basket elevated at head end.
Congratulation on all the recent arrivals x

shelley hope you are feeling better soon and getting lots of support, sending hugs and

Shelley - sorry you're feeling so blue. School holidays are hard, especially when you're not particularly mobile. Can you sort out some playdates for the older 2 so you can get some rest with F? I find things seem less black when I've managed to get some sleep (which J isnt that keen on at the mo - damn that cold). Sending you hugs and virtual choccy biscuits too.

Phie - glad you had a good trip out. People do indeed love newborn babies. The sooner you get them out and about, the easier it all becomes.

Slouching - having my mum around would drive me mad. No matter what's going on I find it has me reverting to Kevin the Teenager mode at some point... Best for us to keep visits short (and even shorter when I am hormonal and postnatal). I'm a big fan of take out when you have visitors in the first couple of months - if need be decant into dishes and pretend you've made it yourself

Shelly sorry to hear that you are struggling a bit. Hope you feel better soon.

Just woken up after a sleepless night. I felt too hot and uncomfortable. Also had pains from the effects of a failed sweep. It must have made the spd worse as I had to spread my legs which I have not done in ages. It was pure agony last night.

Thanks ladies for the best wishes.

Phie I will look into reflexology.

Slouching I will try walking again. I had stopped as I lost interest in the hot weather but will resume. Also spd does not help.

My mum is flying in tomorrow and I have to pick her up from the airport if baby is not here yet. I also have a friend on standby just in case I'm in labour. I have not lived with her for years so don't know how the stay will work out for us.

Silver - sorry to hear you had a bad night. Any success with using lots of pillows to prop up back/tummy/legs - not ideal when you are too hot already though! I think I'm also getting lots of pelvic pain from SPD and low back pain. Every night I get all excited thinking it might be period like pain and be the start of early labour, but sadly not! I've been going on a walk every evening and all it does is gives me LOADS of BH and diarrhoea, and then fizzles into nothing. At least it feels like you are doing something though, and its great to get yourself out of the house and get a little bit of (admittedly very slow) exercise and fresh air.

Shelley - hope you are feeling better soon. Don't forget you have just had a baby - be kind to yourself and don't expect too much. LOVE dinky's suggestion of take away in your own serving dishes - tip filed away for future use (and not just in immediate post natal phase!). We have an amazing set up at church that people deliver you a home cooked meal every night for the first 2 weeks after your baby is born for your to freeze/reheat at your leisure. Its been a real stress reliever knowing I don't need to keep fridge stocked just incase I go into labour!

Second sweep today. I'm trying to be realistic that not much has happened since my last sweep after getting so excited about getting a show (just think plug was dislodged and nothing more), but I know I'll be disappointed if cervix still same as last time.

Good luck for 2nd sweep wombat...I had a 2nd sweep yesterday...bishop score of 9 & cervix 3cm dilated....was hoping something would happen....plug went last night, dtd with DH then too, u have been scrubbing my carpet this morning to get rid of some stains (been bugging me for ages & this will prob be the only time I get sort them out before I have 2!)....but I think things are starting.....lots of lower bank pain & uncomfortableness through by bottom....fx, as booked in for induction tomorrow.

Hope your 2nd sweep goes well. My 2nd one was a bit mor uncomfortable but I think mw had a good 'rummage' in order to kick things off for me...

I hope this is it, Granny!

Good luck, wombat!

Sorry to hear you had such a rough night, Silver. Fingers crossed something will happen and it'll be worth it.

Thanks Wombat and Totally.

Good luck Wombat with the sweep. I'm also having diarrhoea.

Granny hope it won't be long. Yo pains sound promising.

Good luck granny , wombat and silver and fx for more babies soon!

Shelley sorry you are still having such a hard time. Hope you have some rl support. Is your hv any use? Sometimes they can be quite helpful if you are needing support

slouching I'm with you re parents. Like dinky I've had to put time limits on their visits as they drive me (& dh) crazy. However the boys love to see them and we do want them to have some sort of relationship with both sides of the family. I'm just so much more relaxed when they are not here!! My dm will actually stand over me and watch me do things which just feels like I'm being assessed all the time!!
When I took a roast chicken out of the oven last time, she stood peering over my shoulder and then asked 'is it cooked??!' . I had to seriously bite my tongue.

Good luck Granny. Wombat and Silver hope labour starts properly for you both v soon too. Thats a really lovely idea your church has Wombat - will really take the strain off those first few days. Hope living with your mum goes OK silver - hopefully the older kids will keep her fully occupied !

Thanks Dinky. Glad she has come during the holidays and the boys are very active so will keep her busy.

Hope it's all going well with Granny.

hope all goes well wombat the church nearest to me does the same, such a good idea. were about to move home and church and might suggest it as it's a great way to serve one another

Silver diahorrea was the first sign for me and started contractions same day. I know it varies from person to person but hope it's the same for you and all those waiting...it's tough being at the end of the month

are there many of us not on.facebook?

Good luck Granny, Silver and wombat hope you get to see your babies soon

How many others are still waiting? The role call list is massive but I suspect not everyone is still around, either lurking or posting.

I'm not on Facebook Cheek, I think there are a few of us Ludites

Wombat, that's a lovely gesture from the church. When I had DC1 my friend bought me a freezer full of Cook meals which were a life saver, could really do with the same again this time - who has time to cook meals when babe wants to feed constantly between 4pm and 8pm?

Loving the babe Olympics, L main event last night was volume vomiting. It can be quite disheartening spending the whole evening feeding only for him to throw it up and start all over again.

Shelly, sorry to hear things are tough going. Hope you have lots of RL support and brighter days are ahead x

Cheek I'm not on Facebook

Cheek I'm not on the Facebook group either, I like my anonymity!

Good luck to those still waiting.

Shelley sorry you're feeling low. I hope you have plenty of support in real life. Have you managed to tell your gp or health visitor about how you're feeling to see if they can help?

My pil visit went well and was thankfully short. I don't think I could cope with my mom starting with us at the moment, seeing them a few times a week is more than enough for me! F fed constantly today, every one to two hours, so she's managed to go two hours tonight and we've just finished a feed. I hope this precedes a long sleep and isn't the start of another growth spurt!

Morning ladies...will post a proper birth story tomorrow, but just to let you know that Amelia Catherine Smith was born yesterday at 8.10pm...6lb 15oz...and an exact clone of her brother (incl weight, labour, length etc...even a tongue tie) Will be looking for bf advice ladies as felt I didn't manage it last time...so be warned

Congratulations Granny.

Cheek I'm not on Facebook.

Looks like I passed the plug yesterday. It's the first time I've done so. With My first 2, it wasnt till established labour. I've also never had my waters go naturally. I'm seriously symptom spotting with all the cx that come and go.

Congratulations Granny!

Congratulations Granny

I have just been awakened from my princess slumber (!) by the noise of poo hitting nappy. My daughter has to have some work re bowel manners. So loud!!!

I think she's deciding whether to eat or not. My milk came in Mon/Tues and she's been going for it ever since. Did give me a couple of 3.5 hour sleep stretches last night though so can't grumble.

She seems to cluster into late afternoon and early evening too. We agreed though that I wouldn't let my nips get horribly sore this time so when I feel like I've had enough, she has a bottle and I express the BM and give it to her later. It seemed to be working day 3. Another 0.6% had been lost day 5 though so it would be nice to have a gain tomorrow.

Right, still all quiet, so I'm going to make her wake up by shutting my eyes! Hope everyone else has a quiet rest of their evening.

Ps Shelly thinking if you. I felt like that with DS. Hope you can see light at the end of the tunnel

Hello night feeders!

We have wind - and I mean we. My insides appear to have come out in sympathy. If it hurts him the same as me, he's allowed to yell about it.

Had an 'adventure' this evening. Dh had a flat battery so J and I drove to meet him with the jump leads. While he was getting the engine started we went for a wee walk. When he was done, I put j back in the car and dh set off home. With my car keys. Obviously I did the only thing possible in that situation, which was to say some very bad words and burst into tears. Then phone repeatedly while changing and feeding the baby on the back seat. Luckily he realised before he got the whole way home...

Abzs - I'm full of wind too. I think I'm probably generating enough wind energy to produce electricity for at least a couple of households.
Your adventure sounds traumatic. I think swearing and crying was the only appropriate response.

N had a very sleepy evening and do didn't feed as much as she usually does, so we're paying the price now. She's been making up for it overnight. I'm going to encourage the evening feedathon in future.

Congratulations Granny