February 2014 - Part 5 - The one in which nobody has ANY vomiting, heartburn, or random leg injuries...

[marzipanned]

Well, here's hoping!

Sorry ladies TMI warning....especially if you're eating...
I've been constipated for what feels like years and now it's gone the other way if you get my drift. Is it the same for anyone else or is it just me destined for a lifetime of bowel issues?

I've had both on and off Laura. I found prune juice and senokot really good when I was bunged up, plus started having bran flakes for brekkie.
Not really sure what helps with the reverse tho, sorry. Maybe making sure to eat lots of fibre to try and bulk things up. I think they're just nasty side effects of the relaxin making everything looser

The reverse is becaus you get the hard poo (the constipation) and everything behind it just sits there turning to liquid (sorry, sorry, waaaaay too graphic!). Plus I think it's your body clearing everything out while it can, before the constipation starts again!

I've had it so bad that I've been to see my GP, I can't eat fruit without being sick and its having such a knock on effect. He told me don't take anything with senna in it or laxatives in it because it's a contractant (think that's the word he used, basically it makes the bowel contract which can also make the uterus contract). He said beans are good for constipation as a tin of beans contains more fibre than two whole oranges. Ditto carrots and peas. I've been having beans since then and they seem to be doing the trick. If you can eat fruit then fresh figs are in the shops at the minute quite cheap (four for £1 at Tesco) and they work brilliantly - a fresh fig in yoghurt and you'll be unlocked in no time :o

Yes Laura! I'm the same . I've been making sure I have plenty of fruit each day and that seems to be keeping things on an even keel, if you see what I mean!

Work is getting ridiculously busy at the moment and seriously interfering with my MN time! Will try and catch up more this evening!

Oh good glad it's not just me. I seem to spend my life sat on the loo at the minute, if I'm not peeing every 10 minutes I'm trying to poo!!

Just watched midwives (I have one day off a fortnight). I love watching stuff like this but have to hide for the C-sections. I'm terrified of the idea. Really hope everything continues well so I never have to be in that position - tho obviously if it's necessary it's only a good thing.

Just watched Midwives on iPlayer, after the Bake Off, and I'm impressed by the lack of hollering/screaming with the natural births! Not sure I'll be able to be as serene :-)

laura apples are really good for constipation, they have a certain kind of fibre that works well, so if you can stomach them, have at least an apple a day. Plus baked beans on toast with grated cheese is now my go to second breakfast - fibre, calcium (kind of) and filling.

Has anyone booked hypnobirthing classes? I'm wondering if it's worth it, or if reading a book and listening to a CD will be as good? Had a look on MN yesterday and lots of positive things said about it, but that's subject to selection bias, eg people who've had good experiences want to talk about them... I tried hypnosis for not bawling my eyes out when I got married, and didn't listen to the CD often enough and now there are no pics of me going down the aisle - I looked like I was being married at gunpoint! So any stories or thoughts please!

My midwife really wants me to go to hypnobirthing classes but I think she misunderstood me. I'm terrified of C-sections, not natural birth! I'd try it, but not if it's really expensive. Thought I might just buy a book to read up on it instead.

gnitting I did a hypnobirthing course when expecting ds. All the dp's who attended were VERY sceptical but by the end of the course they were more in to it than the women! I was a bit crap at doing the visualisation techniques but I did learn great relaxation techniques, breathing and rejecting fear which I used in labour. I also became conditioned to the cd we were given to listen to each night as I fell asleep. This is apparently a good thing! I am in the camp of highly recommending doing the course and I will do a refresher before dc2 arrives. I fell asleep for an hour while contracting every 2.5 minutes and I only woke up because DH phoned me! More of that please!

I'll second the bran flakes, they make me too regular if anything and I just try to eat them every other day. I've been eating weetabix topped with weetos for beakfast every day this week which seems to be working a charm.

Kiddicare have 15% off for the next few days (but it doesn't apply to those nice expensive prams!)

I've just booked us into NCT classes straight after christmas! Eek! So bloody expensive, but really hoping to make some friends etc.

Looking forward to bump photos later, I?m not sure if my bump has popped yet, I still think it looks like too much cake and stodge.

I've booked on to a course gnitting. I bought a set of CDs from amazing on natal hypnotherapy which I've been listening to a little bit but I like the thought of a course where you can learn in person. The one near me is pricey (200 quid) but I reckon if it helps me be calm in labour it's a small price to pay, plus I'm hoping to buy quite a lot of baby things second hand so will hopefully save the long back elsewhere. Really looking forward to the classes as I've heard such good things about hypnobirthing

my dh even used hypnobirthing techniques to pass his driving test first time, days before ds arrived

so much to read and catch up on! I'm also having the same dilemma about when to start mat leave....its so hard to know what I'll be like towards the end, I work 12hr shifts on my feet so earlier the better byte think I'd rather save leave till the end with baby!
just been at midwife app all good and heard the heart beat.......so exciting! Also had a friend visit who brought loads of baby stuff and maternity clothes for me!! I'm not going to need to get any maternity clothes at this rate...happy days

Thanks for the reassuring words champagne and misskat. This morning was okay though it turns out the study/nursery has rotten floorboards so we need a lot of work done!

Just caught up on Midwives - in floods of tears.

Does anyone have any hypnobirthing books/CDs they would recommend? There's only one course vaguely near us and it's completely booked up.

Champagne if you are really struggling with the sickness and tiredness, can you see if you can get some more time off? IIRC you're thinking about changing jobs in the not too distant future anyway?

That's a pain about the floor marzipanned - I hope you get it sorted without too much stress!

I got a box set of 4 natal hypnotherapy CDs by maggie Howell on amazon. It's got one for during pregnancy, one to prep for birth, one with music for birth and one for recovery afterwards. Apparently the Mongan method books are really good too. The course I'm doing uses them so ill get them then but if not I would probably order to read along with using the other CDs.

wow you've been à chatty bunch, I'll try and catch up

jazz I think those 2 weeks will be massively pointless but I'd rather had 2 weeks at full pay being a spare part to be honest

plus I'm secretly hoping my company will want me to bugger off at Xmas so may agree to pay me to keep me out of the way... only a smll company so fairly likely

Wonder if this works at all antisickness hypnosis!

Re mat leave, I'm due 18th Feb and plan to work until 31st Jan, take 2 weeks AL then start mat leave. I'm aware this could be hugely optimistic as I have no idea how huge/tired/fed up I'll be by then!

Thankfully my office closes for Xmas so I'll have a nice break from 20th Dec - 2nd Jan. I figure I should be able to cope with 4 weeks in Jan after that break.

No doubt I'll be hugely jealous when you all finish at Xmas thou!

Have spent a productive half hour this morning at work going over my annual leave allocation and working out my potential mat leave dates. With only a small amount of fiddling my annual leave usage, I reckon I can finish on 19th December (I only work Mon-Thurs), take annual leave until 16th Jan and start maternity leave properly on 20th January. Due date is 21st February. Excited now!

I just need to decide whether I would prefer 2 weeks paid holiday and sitting on the sofa in January (with 2 weeks less holiday to take at the end of ML) or 2 weeks at the same pay continuing coming into the office, battling on the motorways for 3hrs a day (but with the bonus of having 2 additional weeks AL to have at the end of ML).

Either way would still get paid the same amount but it would just mean getting paid to sit on my bum pregnant or for running around after bean at the tail end of ML!

Grrrr just tried to book my 25 week midwife appointment and will obvs need to get out if work for it. Was hoping for an afternoon one with minimal lessons missed but they're only allowed to book from the first appointment and fill up that way! Stupid system! Anyone know if ill be fine to just book it the week later as ill be on half term?

I just had my 16 wks app a week later and it wasn't a problem at all

Because my new week falls on a Thursday and the midwife clinic I go to is on a Wednesday, all of my appointments are almost a week late - don't think it matters.

Cool ill just get it booked for in the holidays then thanks