The PESH are getting busy and looking out for a cluster diff!!

[pinkr]

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012.
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012.
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013.

Need dates:

Rollerbaby, No pink here, expecting boy due March 20th 2012
IveBeenExpectingYou (CockDodger), A very active baby girl, due March 28th 2012
Silver, hoping for an easier sneeze, due mid-July 2012
Starryeyedmole, regretting recently investing in scales
cakeandcava approaching walrus proportions, DC1 EDD 21/10/12

LazyMachine (38) DC1 EDD 9/2/13
CamelKnees (34) fat and fatigued DC2 EDD 22/04/2013
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14.04.13
fertilityFTW (34) date needed.
pinkr, (33), any day now!!, DC1 due 22/08/2013
Jethro (36) head in the sand Edd 071013
Frankel (32) nauseous and knackered Edd 4/3/14
Noks - info needed
Sinky - info needed

Done my best - apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

Oh, just a thought: HOTB is nagging me to get a flu jab. Will the GP let me have it before the booking appt (and therefore "official" recognition of diffage)?

I would ask the midwife about it at booking in. Perhaps you need to be past the first trimester before you have it?

Can you call your midwife team and ask their advice Draf? My only thought is by the time you've had your booking in appt flu season is well underway.

I'm sure I had my flu jab when I was about 10 weeks diffed. I found no-one ever questioned being diffed. I would ring the GP practice and say you're diffed and can you book in draf.

There were no NHS classes near me hence the private midwife. I dunno about NCT, it seems a bit idealistic. My friend did it and has only just agreed to introduce a bottle at 4 1/2 months because she was scared her baybee would prefer the bottle. Faithlet rarely cared as long as she got fed! We did have bottle refusal at 3 months but that only lasted a couple of days. Sorry it made you feel bad jeffers.

I think that's what HOTB is worried about, Frank - that flu season is cracking on so getting it done sooner rather than later would be good. I don't have the number for the midwives though (except the emergency contact) - booking in is done via the GP surgery. The NHS website says the vaccine is safe at all stages of pregnancy, so I'm not worried on that score.

I shall follow the advice of our resident expert Faif and just call, I think - though I'll feel daft ringing twice in one day!

Sounds like a good plan Draf. I've got to remember to book in for my whooping cough jab once I hit 28 weeks.

Turnip has become noticeably more active in the last few days. I'm 23 weeks tomorrow, does that fit with what the CRESH experienced?

Yes Frank! I started to notice more of a pattern around that time as well. SQUEE! Wriggly baybee :)

I'm not sure we're in conwriggly baby mode just yet but we've graduated from the occasional kick/wriggle in the evenings to definite movement in

Argh, posted too soon!

I meant we're not fully into wriggly baby mode yet, I'm definitely getting kicked during the day as well as the evening now!

Yay, and also HOW WEIRD, Frank. Is it like being taken over by aliens?

Flu jab in an hour and a half - turns out that was pretty easy

frank how excited!
draf how efficient!

Very efficient Draf

It is very weird, but reassuring to know all is well inside. The kicking is a strange sensation, kind of like someone flicking with their fingers IYSWIM. HWHNN is a bit freaked out by the idea of seeing hands/feet protruding from the bump

I know, right, my surgery are usually pretty quick, hence my surprise at getting such a late midwife appt.

And I don't blame HWHNN - the whole idea is pretty bizarre

Good oh draf.

Frank I never really got that, maybe because Faithlet was so dinky? She did kick MSB in the ear once though!

Evening all

draf congrats on the successful sprog scannage. I loved the early scans as they were so reassuring. How are you feeling ?

franks I have just finished six weeks of Lazy Daisy classes and I bloody loved them. I have signed up for six more. They have really made me feel quite zen about the birth and that whatever it brings, I can cope. I also found the teaching to be very non-judgmental in that they try to support whatever birth choices you end-up making (instead of making you feel like a failure if you need intervention). Now I realise that that makes me sound like a hairy, alfalfa sprout munching, smelly hippy idealist, but I found the classes much more useful than I expected them to be. How was the first one for you ?

jeff the nct literature gave me THE PROPER RAGE. I got the impression that they think you are a total slag if you don't wander into the bush and give birth by the big oak tree, sans drugs or any intervention. Even worse, if you don't breastfeed until your two year old is hanging off your tit, you are a massive whore who deserves a dose of the clap. Hence I didn't think nct was for me. I suspect if I had gone to their classes, I would have gone all Raoul Moat on their arses so I decided to seek an alternative. The hospital classes were ok too, to be honest.

Evening Norks, class was really good thanks. Only 4 of us but apparently there will be another 3 next week who are doing a refresher. Our teacher lady was luffly, and like you say it was all very non-judgemental. One of the other ladies is a barren like me, she's 39 and got diffed on her 3rd IVF cycle.

Learnt some interesting stuff about influencing baybee's position as well as a rather useful perineal stretch - the idea of perineal massage has always been a bit ick for me I'm afraid .

We're probably going to sign up for one of the couples workshops so HWHNN can learn his role Plus our lady also offers a doula service, which we have been toying with because of HWHNN's job and the possibility of him not being here.

Roll on next week!

Ok, no lazy daisy classes near me. Am booked into nct in jan. Bit further away than I'd like and it'll mean ghj missing training for a couple of months, but booked! Can't believe how quickly they've filled up. I did have a quick look at the website a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of classes!

Glad yours was good frank

frank we did the couples classes. It was CASAF's first introduction to the world of ante natal stuff. I thought I was doing ever so well until about ten minutes in, the teacher said that she had a contact who could turn your placenta into a fucking sandwich or a chocolate brownie or something, and I had a really funny turn and so had to leave the room. I felt like a right dork. Luckily I was fine afterwards. eye roll I quite liked the alternative perineum exercise. The thought of trying to massage it myself (or get CASAF to do it ) isn't that appealing, tbh.

slinks at lease you have managed to get in. I heard that in some areas, nct classes get booked-up soooooo early.

Hags, some advice please. I just had a really funny turn, I was sat at my desk at work when all of a sudden I went cold then hot and really dizzy. I honestly thought I was going to pass out or throw up. I sat quietly taking deep breaths for a few minutes and it passed. I feel ok now, and Turnip is kicking away, but should I call my midwife to let her know or is it just one of those things that can happen?

I ought to add that calling my midwife involves leaving an answer phone message and waiting 24 hours for someone to get back to me!

franks I had a funny turn where the room folded in on itself and then back out again. It was very weird. I did get myself checked out as I was a bit concerned about my blood pressure. All was fine (and if turnip is kicking, then chances are things are ok) but I wanted the reassurance of being checked out. Why don't you see if you could get a late GP's appointment ? They can check your BP and listen to the baby's heartbeat and give you peace of mind. I hope all is ok. Let us know. X

Thanks Nokks. I managed to track down a mobile number for one of the midwives who said it was most probably low BP or low blood sugar. She advised me to eat something and go home for the day, so I'm now on the sofa eating a cheese sandwich!

She said low BP could be triggered by a virus so to keep an eye on my health for the next few days in case I come down with something. I feel totally fine now but am going to take it easy for the rest of the day.

Oh yes, and I put the Doppler on as soon as I got in and Turnip is thudding away as normal, so all well in there.

Excellent news, Frank :)

It's weird how books and websites and adverts go on about high blood pressure all the time - mine has always been fine, if anything on the low side of normal. My mum has low blood pressure and I often get dizzy spells for no apparent reason - wouldn't be surprised if that was down to low blood pressure. It's my only real "health concern" (aside from miscarriage), but all the advertising ignores low and focuses on high BP...