December 2013 - waddling slowly onwards

[LadyMedea]

Our new thread!

Hahaha whisper -I do exactly the same but I just can't stop myself!

It def doesn't feel like stomach hardening -just a dull periody pain.

Another one struggling with stopping-work-early-guilt here! Was due to go off at 35+3, but after the midwife gently suggesting earlier that now might be a good time to give up, I'm seriously considering getting signed off after my shift at the weekend, if I even manage to do that. I was so determined to make it to the finish line, but in my last pregnancy I'd been off for 5 weeks at this point (and gave birth tomorrow! ) so maybe I'm expecting too much of myself, my pelvis is so much more painful this time around and I've got DS to run around after!

Hi qumquat, I'm a teacher too and I feel the stress with you - I spent twenty minutes crying in the copier room today and have cried all the way home every day this week so far. Hopefully you just have a case of bad-day-itis.

Cherry I'm trying my best to stick it out for as long as I can. I've managed to steer my classes into assessments for the next few weeks and so that should help me rest a little before I go properly. Work has also been nicer over the last week and has been letting me off meetings and cover.

itsliz I wanted to go to our Mothercare event too but they are fully booked with a waiting list ... must serve really good biscuits!

Well I have another kidney infection and another round of antibiotics to go through. Hopefully these ones will kill it permanently this time. Currently slumped on the sofa feeling very pained and sorry for myself.

I was struggling with leaving work early guilt, but now I just feel like this to be quite honest. Roll on mat leave (last shift on Friday)! Also, as my ex midwive neighbour pointed out, it used to be pretty normal to go off at 30/31 weeks.

I've booked DP and I on a Red Cross Baby and Child first aid course after watching a particularly traumatic episode of One Born Every Minute were the baby contracted meningitis and realising I would have no clued whatsoever about what to do in a baby related health emergency

This .gif made me laugh so hard ccsays - if I could use it at work I would

Glad it went ok EmB, I'm looking forward to going tomorrow!

Pink, you are dong the best for your baby. Work isn't on the same scale of importance as your baby's health, so try to relax and stop worrying quite so much!

Stom, I asked the midwife today about the shaking. She said she had only had a couple of women say that before, and as long as it only lasts 2 or 3 seconds its fine, but if it becomes more frequent to phone them and let them know! I hope you are feeling better!

Just a heads up guys, if you are thinking of going to NHS antenatal classes or breastfeeding classes you need to phone and book them asap if you haven't already. I phoned today and they only had 3 dates left for the classes and could only offer me the 19th December for breast feeding which is no good when I'm due on the 13th!

I know I'm worrying about work far too much too. We are due a visit from Ofsted in the next few weeks and I feel so sure they will come before I leave in just under 3 weeks. I feel so anxious and stressed about it. I'm getting upset about it and I'm not sure why. I have gone through Ofsted a few times before, so shouldn't be getting this worked up about it. I just can't help it. I can't even relax too much because SLT are constantly doing learning walks in order to prepare and I feel awful if I am sitting down when they come in to my lessons and if my lessons aren't top notch.

My back is also so painful. My midwife said it's because the baby is tilting back and is really far towards the back, she said she could barely feel her to find out where she is. I have been lucky that I teach 5 or 6 lessons less than I should be but I just don't feel like I'm coping very well. Another pregnant woman left last week at 37 weeks, so I feel really pathetic.

Rubbish

Thanks for the advice and kind words, helping me to keep it real. Pregnancy brings such a mixed bag of emotions! I've already done a bit of packing and DP is hopefully bringing some more boxes back with him at the weekend so will give me something positive to focus on. We don't have the option to rent the house out as we'd need to spend money on improvements/fixing things and changing the mortgage which we don't have as we need it for moving and buying baby things. We really are very ill prepared!

I really admire all you ladies that are working so hard and for such long hours. Part of the reason we thought about starting a family was because i was made redundant and was finding it hard to get another job, so thankfully I've just been doing the odd bit of freelancing from home and been able manage things. I think I would've bailed much earlier if I'd had a full time job and been commuting. You're all totally fabulous for hanging in there IMO and should jolly well enjoy the time you have off without even a snippet of guilt. You've earned it ladies! :)

By the way, I chickened out of having both jabs and just had the whooping cough for now. Did a load of housework and cleaned the carpet as when I got in and now I've a big painful lump on my arm and grogginess is kicking in. Early night for me I think

Thanks gannet. Feeling much better just get odd periods of short breath.

I'm booked in for a breast feeding class on the 24th.

I felt guilty about being off work. Had to go off sick quite early.. On official Nat leave now though... But after that scare on yesterday - I was told to slow down even more - seriously if i do I think I'll stop! I can't go much slower lol..

Gannet don't feel silly... Every pregnancy is different and everyone cope in a different way.. You have to do What is best for you and baby.

Seeing the obstetrician tomorrow! Not sure what to expect. Anyone else seen one?? Thanks gannet. Feeling much better just get odd periods of short breath.

I'm booked in for a breast feeding class on the 24th.

I felt guilty about being off work. Had to go off sick quite early.. On official Nat leave now though... But after that scare on yesterday - I was told to slow down even more - seriously if i do I think I'll stop! I can't go much slower lol..

Gannet don't feel silly... Every pregnancy is different and everyone cope in a different way.. You have to do What is best for you and baby.

Seeing the obstetrician tomorrow! Not sure what to expect. Anyone else seen one?? Thanks gannet. Feeling much better just get odd periods of short breath.

I'm booked in for a breast feeding class on the 24th.

I felt guilty about being off work. Had to go off sick quite early.. On official Nat leave now though... But after that scare on yesterday - I was told to slow down even more - seriously if i do I think I'll stop! I can't go much slower lol..

Gannet don't feel silly... Every pregnancy is different and everyone cope in a different way.. You have to do What is best for you and baby.

Seeing the obstetrician tomorrow! Not sure what to expect. Anyone else seen one??

Oops stupid phone sorry

Sorry haven't had a chance to read all the posts but sitting here on the sofa (DH is away) and baby is going crazy in there! The kicks are so hard it hurts! Anyone else had this? My tum is rippling from the movement then I get the odd painful kick, and baby has hiccups. Maybe I shouldn't have had that cup of tea!

gannet can't you be put on a 'vulnerable' list or something if ofsted turn up? I think I read somewhere you can do that. When ofsted rocking up at ours a year ago, one of my colleagues basically told the inspector that she was 34 weeks pregnant and any judgement he made had to take that into consideration or she would consider it victimisation! (wish I had the balls to do that!)

Hope obstetrician goes well stom

Bohemian it works for so many things

mum yup, kicks are getting occasionally quite painful and jabby and I've had a rippling stomach too.

Thanks again for the words of encouragement. I am sure I will feel fine when I actually finish my work. I already feel better knowing I don't have to go back into the office, so will be in the comfort of my own home. I am also comforted by knowing I am not the only one going through the leaving work early guilt thing.

I am getting the certificate from the doctors tomorrow and will mention that I have just joined the 'kicked in the groin and then stabbed with needles' club.

as for friendly baby kicks, mine are mostly in one place and not that hard yet to cause me pain. Perhaps things will change, but my anterior placenta is probably cushioning me from the full force.

Mine's starting kicking right down in the hip/pelvis area, feels like under where your hip bone is. Them ones stun me for a second or two, but now he's just having a good wriggle and making my laptop move from side to side!!
17 days left of work for me... can't bloody wait!! Had to swap shifts today cause stupid arse manager had left me to rearrange the conference room which meant lifting chairs n tables. The slightly kinder assistant manager came and told me, and said she couldn't have me lifting tables so would I like to swap shifts and make the time up. I know I'll never get to make up the time as he's massively over-budget with wages as it is which is annoying...but hey ho. Gone off on a massive tangent there
My antenatal classes had loadsa room left, got the birthing one next week and going to book the BF one for November hopefully :)

Been awake since 2am and just had some crunchy nut cornflakes lol. Baby likes them!

Just a thought and I may have missed this but who was it that was leaking fluid and wetting their joggers? Was it clare? And did we get an update from her? Hope she is ok and I have just missed it.

Bit of a tangent, but we learnt something at NCT class last night that I thought I should share! If you want to avoid a tear, do not actively push your baby out at the crowning stage! Contractions will slowly do it for you, each one slowly stretching the perineum. Midwives have a tendancy to rush the birth of the baby when women are ten cm dilated, but there's really no need, the body will do it for you with little or no help from pushing.

Hope some people find this useful

Well, this is it, the day I've been looking forward to and dreading! 32 weeks exactly, the day I went into labour with DS. So far so good, no odd feelings although after DH got a bit amorous this morning I did wonder if it had been a good idea (not that I objected!). I just know I'm going to be a wreck from here on in, overanalysing every twinge, but every day he stays in is a day more cooked than DS! Only 3 weeks and I can more or less relax, 35 weeks means little or no NICU time. I'll have less angst about the cs then too. Hope everyone's well and feeling rested today! I'm stuck in waiting for a furniture delivery, and wondering what to do with an 18kg toddler I can neither lift nor catch when I'm on my own :S

fingers crossed for you feather Hope your little one carries on cooking in there! I am 30 weeks today and have realised it is between 7 and 12 weeks till I see my baby. I am terrified!

7 weeks maximum here, nursery is finally painted, furniture in, just have to get all the teeny tiny baby things down from the loft and sort through for wash/throw/charity shop so I know what I want need to buy and I'm done! Oh, and need DH to put shelves up in nursery, FIL is here overnight tonight so going to get them to do it tonight. I've asked my dad to drop his drill in before he disappears for the day so DH has no excuse for further procrastination! Oh, and I need curtains.

Just rang the MW and booked onto the NHS breast feeding class a week on Saturday - I know I've done it before but I'm hoping that by continuing to prepare for a 'normal' experience it'll be more likely to all go smoothly! Last time there were NG tubes, breast pumps, separation from baby, tongue ties and interfering batshit crazy bf advisors to deal with, no great surprise I didn't manage to keep going past about 10 weeks!

Speaking of breast pumps, I think I've been done :( Won a Medela swing a couple of weeks ago on eBay for a stupidly low price as there were about 15 ending in the space of half an hour, I just bid on the one without a box or accessories. It hasn't arrived, so I contacted the seller who said it was posted 10 days ago. It's definitely not at the PO, and when I've contacted the seller she's refunded me immediately, saying she'll do the chasing with Royal Mail, even though in the listing she said she wouldn't take responsibility for lost in post items and would forward proof of posting to the buyer in that situation. I think she wasn't happy with the sale price and hasn't sent it. I'm so gutted it's unreal! Money's getting VERY tight and I really want one of those, going to have to rake the house for stuff to eBay to fund one I think

It is official, I am signed off work. I have a few bits to tie up and then the is me done! Although I still feel a little naughty (not much thanks to you lovely ladies and my lovely DP), I also feel such a huge sense of relief. All those things I was going to try to squeeze in are no longer daunting, but more exciting. I also feel much less scared of going into early labour.

Plus because of my paranoia of going into labour early, I have washed a load of baby clothes (not that they would fit yet) and bought things for the baby bag, so now I can start putting it together.

I am going to get a Medala swing. I was playing around with the idea of getting a manual pump, but my friends told me they knew quite a few people who developed carpel tunnel syndrome from using them!

Had a bit of good news, we've found a house to rent where DP's new job is so going to take the plunge and go and hope the house sells before we go bankrupt, lol. At least I know we'll all be together when I have the baby and i won't be on my own 200 miles away from all family and friends. His new boss (also pregnant) has been very generous and is allowing him to have his paternity leave even though he won't technically have accrued it by the time I'm due. Thinking of positives, thinking of positives!!

Gosh you are all very organised, with hospital bags ready and nurseries decorated etc. I'll be nearly 36 weeks by the time we move so we're going to have to do most things last minute and hope for the best. All that is the least of our worries though and I'm sure it will be lovely to do once we're together again.

Having some powerful kicks now too and think it's had hiccups a few times as these have been quite rhythmic. Does anyone else feel the baby having a huge stretch? Sometimes when I lie down in bed I feel a pressure building up and my bump starts to rise up and get really tight. It's like baby is on hands and feet and pushing it's back out. Feels weird but also lovely because I can make out it's head and little bum, although not sure which one is which!!

That is great news meandbumby. I am really pleased for you.

I have to say I am a little jealous of the big kicks as I just get tap tap tapping away and the occoasional shoving and stretching action. I think we had the hiccups the other day too.

but I am sure they will come soon enough. I am 29 weeks today.

feather and pink can I suggest a different breast pump. I know the medela swing is very popular but the ameda lactaline is now a similar price on amazon - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004E9SW7G - and is a dual pump with a proper closed system. This means you can sell it on afterwards with a clear conscience. The swing is not a closed system which means it is possible for breast milk to get into bits which cannot be sterilised, which isn't good generally if you ask me, and so is a 'single user item'. Many people do sell them 2nd hand but I was very put off by this article mythnomore.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/why-you-shouldnt-buy-sell-or-borrow.html?m=1

If you don't plan to sell it, then why have a single when you can have a double!

Pink I didn't have big kicks before 29 weeks either. It happened all of a sudden and now baby hardly stops wriggling and stretching. I'm sure it will happen for you soon and you'll be being kicked awake at 2am in no time!

So happy for you that you're finishing work and feeling better about things. Hope you're relaxing and enjoying yourself