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

[marzipanned]

Well, here's hoping!

Babies babies babies!!!!!

To all those teachers, I do sympathise with performance related pay, I am not a teacher (any more) but in my current job I am effectively on performance related pay. I am an advisor in the the Jobcrntre, which means my pay/bonus is based on 'offlow', or basically, how many people go into work each month. It's not as easy as 'here's a job' anymore, and if they fail to apply for jobs, fail to even look for jobs to apply for, or don't bother going to / trying at interviews I've set up, then that affects my pay. Very frustrating. I am looking forward to 9 months off!

Littleen if you get the chance have a watch of the Business of Being Born. It's a documentary - obviously very one-sided, but explores the increasingly interventionist nature of childbirth in the US. Because of the way their medical system works financially the hospitals are incentivised to give epidurals, inductions, even c-sections... All of my friends in the US who wanted what we could call a natural birth had to either have a home birth or go to a specialist birth centre.

Yeah, in between contractions is absolutely fine. I was falling asleep in between them when I was having DS :o I was waking up, pushing, then as soon as the contraction was over I was passing back out asleep. I even snored The first time I did it though apparently looked a bit scary as one second I was talking rubbish to DH (I got a bit hallucinatey through tiredness), the next my eyes rolled shut and my head went limp and I slumped over on the bed. I woke up literally five seconds later to the sound of DH panicking at the MW "she's dead! Oh my god! She's dead!" Poor bloke had been awake over 24hrs by then and was beyond worried as I don't think he fully realised what to expect in labour.

I was a bit scared in the run up to it but once labour actually began I found I was fine, accepting even. You get to a point where you realise your baby has to come out one way or another!

God that sounds a right pain littlest! That's the thing - if pay is down to the performance that you put in to a job I don't mind - it's when it's based on other peoples actions who you actually have no control over then it annoys me.

Ooooh dawn you actually make labour sound pretty nice pub quiz sounds fab

I have a friend who lives in the US marzipanned, she had to go to three different hospitals before she found one who would let her deliver without an epidural and they made her sign a waiver before she was allowed to labour in water (she had to get out before delivery though, "too dangerous to deliver in water")

Thanks misskatamari - I do remember it fondly. Also I had 2 birth partners....my DH and my best friend so it was a really nice sociable atmosphere!

Litleen my friend has cluster headaches (also known as suicide headaches) and from what I've seen of both that and labour, (most people's experiences of) labour is not as bad. The fact that some people are able to labour with no pain relief says it all - no pain relief would be inconceivable with a cluster headache for anyone (and provokes a drastic reaction from those sufferers caught short, hence the nickname .) I wouldn't wish cluster headaches on my worst enemy. He says a normal migraine represents a tiny tiny percentage of the pain of a cluster headache attack. Vile.

littlest that's what my husband does and don't get me started on whether you send enough people for DMA's (if that is the right abbreviation), the amount of whinges I have heard when he gets home about that, yet surely if you are doing your job right, you don't need to refer people for them, so how can you be targeted on it?

My issue with pay like that for teachers is it really depends on what set you have and that often depends on how well you get on with your HOD...

Very frustrating!

dawn sandwich board sounds like a good idea... Although as soon as one of the kids in school finds out, rest of school will know!

Oh I hope I get inbetweeny bits this time. I literally had 7 hours of constant agony. But I have to remind myself it wasn't contractions it was pain from an obstructed bowel. I couldn't even feel my contractions, that's how intense the pain was!

I like the sound of taking a ready prepared pub quiz with me to labour with!

After having dd I understood why you are pregnant for nine months - because at the end of that time you've had enough and really don't care about labour anymore of what you go through as long as it gets the baby out!!!

Bear I know in ways their medical system is amazing but stories like that make me relieved I live in Europe! I guess the litiginous culture also has a lot to answer for.

wow Marzipanned that is a lot of sleep. Are you low on iron too? Mind you could just be your body regaining some of the energy lost through HG.

I am particularly tired today but no rest for me with two busy bees to look after. I think I should hurry up and get iron from the docs as I feel like I am shutting down.

That's ashame for those kids who did so poorly in their exams. Some just dont realise the importance at that age, I know I didn't. And now after completing my degree with a 2:1 I have to go to college and sit Maths and Sience GCSE's to become a teacher. I might start this in October but will wait and see if I feel up to it. If I had just tried that bit harder... I was so naive I got A's in the subjects I loved but D's in the subjects I didn't (maths & science).

What is everyone's opinions on the Flu jab then? I have been told I should have it this winter but I am not sure if I will.

OMG Litleen, re-reading your post - do you have cluster headaches? I'm so sorry if that's the case! there's me trying to tell you what it's like second-hand, purely based on my friend's suffering/my research! If you do suffer with them I suspect you're totally hardcore and won't even notice going into labour. (tries to take large foot out of mouth)

Tmi (sorry)

I actually thought I was having contractions this morning... Turned out to be poo pains... Really painful, in short bursts, then would be ok. Had to run to toilet but was paranoid to look down, thinking I would see baby...

I wouldn't say I was constipated, but have definitely been going for no2's less frequently but hadn't really noticed. Now I think I must be as (ahem) it took a while to go but once I did, the relief and no more contraction type pains!

For those onto 2nd or more babies, can you tell the difference between Brixton hicks and real contractions? How do you know when it's the real thing? Was anyone early?

My Brixton hicks were totally painless and just tingled. Half the time I didn't notice them but other people saw my tummy tighten.

marzipanned I'd love to watch it, know of any good site I can watch it on?

MilkandTwo - I didn't realise they had painkillers that worked on cluster headaches - my attacks normally come on during the night, and I just wake up with insane pain behind my eye! I have had normal migraines too since I was little, and it's not at all the same kind of thing, as your friend says. Migraine is a walk in the park compared! Migraine pills help if taken right at the onset, sometimes, but when they come in the night it's impossible, and yes, you do get (or I do anyway) suicidal at the time, because it really is unbearable! But luckily it goes away :)

My boyfriend keep saying I will not cope at all with labour, that I have a really low pain treshold and I'll just be begging for an epidural straight away! Pisses me well off!

Bought our. family car today, a lovely megane with isofix bits for car seats.

Can I ask a question too please?

If I plan to bf do I still need to buy bottles and sterilisers etc? And do I need to take formula to hospital in case I dont get on with bfing?

I am finding everything so overwhelming, so many types and styles and functions of everything!!

Amicus I bought bottles because I expressed right from the start so DH could do late night feed. I also bought a steriliser for same reason.

I didn't buy any formula but I'd imagine the hospital would provide some if you absolutely needed it.

Haha, don't worry about it, MilkandTwo

I have been told that I need the flu jab and the whooping cough one (had whooping cough in December) although they have said I may have antibodies for whooping cough now but they said best to have it...

My mum has flu jab every year, as diabetic and teachers for severe special needs children who are more susceptible to flu... She feels rough for a couple of days but then fine.

Just checking in really, we are back from holidays and I am catching up on everyone's news. It seems to have been pretty chatty over the past few weeks!

amicus I was on a thread the other day and a few people were saying that they had been told my hospital to take formula 'just in case they needed it' as hospital didn't provide it, but this lead to a lot of people asking about what happens if your bf and baby needs top ups, surely hospital must have some just in case... Don't think they came to a conclusion.

Just done the chinese gender thingy and I am apparently having a girl. Back dated it to ds and it came out as boy We will see!

I am still utterly exhausted!

I found labour ok, contractions every 2 minutes for 1 minute then a 2 minute break again. The contractions after transition were considerably easier.

I never had any braxton hicks with ds. No sign of labour either actually even when mw checked me the day before! His head didn't descend until labour and my waters didn't go until 12 minutes before he arrived.