December 2013 - waddling slowly onwards

[LadyMedea]

Our new thread!

Morning all

Feel much better today.

Whisper is your dp at home today? Can you give ooh nhs gubbins a ring? Dont want to panic you but headaches and nausea and generally feeling shit can be linked to high blood pressure. If you can't get to anywhere I think that they can send a taxi for you. Please get checked out. Xxx

Alyssa know how you feel. DD usually stays in bed on a weekend but woke me up at 7am today to ask if I knew where the huge spider that has been camping in our bathroom had gone.

I do now. He is on my bedroom wall.

Went back to sleep though and just contemplating getting up.

I'm sorry so many of us are struggling. I guess this third trimester is the worst of the bunch. I wish there was a magic pill to take to make us all better.

frouby Nope, DP is working all day again today. I am still feeling pretty lousy though with the added benefit of hips that feel like they are on fire. I'll give my dad a ring, see if he is free to take me. What happens if I do have high blood pressure?

qumquat, pm me your address and I'll post them tomorrow - do you want the 'boy' stuff too or just the neutral?

Hope everyone feels better today, I think we're all on a bit of a downer as this pregnancy lark is starting to get restrictive but there's still what seems like ages til we meet our babies, I know that's how I'm feeling!

thanks Alyssa and frouby re your mention of hitting- I don't know why he was doing it as he couldn't really say. He seems happy at school otherwise and the teacher says he seems fine. The good thing is he hasn't hit any kids since I had a 'chat' with him about it so I'm hoping that's enough to make him realise mummy now knows and he can't get away with it! (not sure why he doesn't rate the teacher's authority quite so highly!) Still get him hitting his brother at home but we've tightened up our discipline and modified time out/consequences so hopefully this will improve too. tbh I think I have been so tired lately I've been a bit slack and when they start fighting sometimes i just hide away in the kitchen hoping they'll sort it out themselves!

Kitty I had carpal tunnel with DC1 and bought a wrist splint. It was magic- they're not cheap but worth it if you're really struggling. If you google it there are a few companies that do them, can't remember where I got mine but it was a physio website/company.

whisper sorry to hear you've been up sick, that's rubbish.

I can sympathise with all the niggles and aches and pains- I've got really bad back ache now. Supposed to book another appointment with the osteo but forgot- seems to help but only for a week or so then the pain is back. It's lower back/pelvis and I know it's just the weight of baby pulling my back out of line. DH is not quite as sympathetic as I'd like and I have to keep constantly reminding him I can't pick up stuff and sound like a right fusspot. I just wish he'd treat me a little bit more like a princess sometimes jealous of those of you who's other halves do!

Also feeling really breathless atm. Is that normal? I'm assuming it's just baby hogging the space and my lungs are being squished. Just getting up or walking upstairs leaves me breathless- feel like an old woman. And I won't even go into the pain my varicose veins are causing.....

oh well, we're all on the home straight.....just seems to be dragging now!

Oh no frouby getting woke up early is bad enough but throw in a huge spider and that's a nightmare

feather its exactly how I'm feeling too, everyone keeps saying....ooh not long now you'll be fine, but its still 6 weeks to go, more if I go over and still 2 weeks to work with no staff and 8 massive pallets coming in every week everything hurts, I'm out of breath, I'm yelling at the kids because im stressed and they're just being kids and I'm now feeling fat and frumpy.

whisper hope your dad can take you Hun, if your bp is high they'll check for protein in your urine to rule out PE, they should give you a full check up but please like frouby said get checked out.

mum I'm really breathless too, walking up stairs is horrible and I have to stop half way up when putting ds2 to bed
I'm also slack with the discipline at the mo, I'm def shouting more which is not good, it wasn't that long ago so I shouldn't have, but I'd forgotten how hard it was to be pregnant with a toddler.

On a good note ds2 is now walking everywhere

Feather I think you summed it up perfectly there! I know we're all about 3/4 of the way there now but this last little bit just seems so much harder...

Felt so uncomfortable last night DP and I went for a meal at TGI Friday's with a few friends and the whole time we were out I was panicking that little one was trying to start making his escape! Painful twinges and lots of pressure really low down... The journey home was hell but I'm feeling much better this morning so hopefully he was just lying at a funny angle

mumoftwo I've been getting really breathless lately as well, usually if I'm lying down or been doing little jobs around the flat. My good friend Google has assured me it's perfectly normal though (as you said, it's just baby squishing everything!)

And Whisper, sorry to hear you're feeling poorly Try to get checked out won't you and let us know how you get on. Big hugs!

and to everyone feeling rough, please come and report back later with how you're feeling.

I have some hospital bag related questions for those who have down this before...

How many maternity pads are you taking? I was thinking a couple of packs, so about 20, but the mothercare list I've got recommends 48!! If I take 48 mat pads I'll have no room for anything else in my bag Do I really need that many?

What size of clothes should I bring? I've got first size which seems to go up to 7lb 11, or newborn which is up to 10lb, but obviously I've no idea how big baby will be. Women in my family seem to have babies on the smaller side, but obviously there's no guarantee I'll be the same! I was going to bring 3 vests and babygros with mittens/hats/socks etc and an extra outfit to come home in.

Finally, I would like to bf but the birth centre doesn't provide formula. Should I bring some of the ready prepared stuff just in case I struggle, or am I setting myself up to fail by having it so easily accessible?

Rang my dad and he is busy all day and DP is working till 6. Not sure what to do. I would normally walk to the hospital as it's only 10 minutes down the road, but typically today my hips are protesting any form of movement so that isn't an option. Have no money for a taxi either. I think I'm gonna have to wait till DP gets home, although I don't know how that will help because I would still have to walk there

whisper ring maternity triage and explain your situation and symptoms. If they think you should come in today they might be able to arrange patient transport for you.

Don't worry too much if you can't get in today but if you get swollen hands/ankles/face, a bad headache or see flashing lights then go even if you have to call an ambulance.

All that being said you could have a bug, or have straightforward high BP which they'll just monitor or treat with drugs.

I had them wiggly lines you see before you get a migraine yesterday night and then had a really bad headache/migraine symptoms all night. No headache today, but just feel like I've been run over by a bus which is normal the day after I've had a migraine. I'll keep an eye on how I'm feeling, hoping a shower will make me feel better. If I don't get any better I'll give triage a call

I didn't sleep that brilliantly last night. DP had a 'few' to drink and did fall asleep on the sofa, but not for long. He got lonely! So when he came to bed he dis what he has been doing more of recently which is really cuddle up to me (spooning). Don't get me wrong, it is lovely, BUT (bless him) he cuddles up so close, I quite often end up hangung onto the edge of the bed hoping me and bump stay in, and my bump has got big enough now to be uncomfortable even with support that I need to move on to my right side occasionally to relieve the aches, but I get trapped by the cuddle and lack of turning circle (clearly more of an engineering challenge these days). Only last night was topped of with an alcohol induced sleep too. I don't want to discourage him too much because I like the cuddles, but I am so very pleased I don't have to do my long days anymore :)

So I got my sleep this morning. Feeling fune and ready to watch the boys move furniture this morning :)

I will treat myself to a bath and a film this afternoon;)

pistachio I never took any formula into hospital with me with ds1 but I had those aptamil starter kits with ds2, I never used it but it was good to have just in case. You don't have to use it hunny but take one if it'll give you some peace of mind....although I still think the nhs should provide it.

I have first size clothes which here are up to 9llb in weight, I've took a pack of 7 body suits, a pack of 3 sleep suits and babies coming home outfit complete with hat and scratch mits as it'll be cold, if you're measuring ok at the midwife then chances are first size should be fine but I'm not sure if I'd risk ones that only go to 7llb, ds2 measured spot on and he was born 7llb 5oz. Maybe do what I do and take 2 bags, one for you and dp and the other for baby.

I got my maternity towels from mothercare and they are the thin kind which I found better as I felt like I was every second changing the thick ones as nothing soaked in and after my mat towels were gone i used (always night) the long thin ones and to be honest for me they worked better and I felt more comfortable in them as opposed to the thick maternity ones. The pack holds about 20 I think it was, I'm only taking one pack but took more with my first as I knew I'd be in longer.

Pink- you're way nicer than me. My DH went for a few drinks last night and was directed to the spare room! Couldn't cope with his boozed snoring on top of the countless other things stopping me sleeping at the mo!

Nomdeclavier- out of interest what do you wash your lilypadz with?

Why don't you give them a call anyway Whisper just to put your mind at rest?

Pistachio I'm taking 20 pads, on experience from last time that'll be plenty at least to get you over the first day (more than enough in fact!). I'm also planning to bf but will be taking one of the SMA starter packs just in case - 6 ready made, ready to use bottles with teats, if bf doesn't work out and I need to use them I can send DH to the supermarket for more if needed. It isn't setting yourself up for failure at all, if anything it's taking some unnecessary pressure off yourself so in my book that's likely to make bf easier! The packs are only £6.99 so not a huge waste if they don't get used.

People talking about hospital bags - I bought some nightdresses from Sainsburys, £12 each and button-down so great for bf. I figured after a section I'll have a catheter for at least 12 hours so pyjamas won't be a good idea initially, although I have put in a couple of pairs for later in the stay. I got the shirts several sizes too big, just in case the bump doesn't magically disappear instantly (!) and figured they'd be super comfy for newborn snuggles on the sofa when I get home!

Thinking about it, I used always night pads first time round as DS was an unexpected Sunday arrival, way too early to have my bag packed and all the supermarkets were shut when I sent DH foraging with a list. They were the best he could get from the garage, but they did the job!

Mildred, he wasn't too bad last and he is usually a snorer. I think the first 90 mins on the sofa got rid of the worst of it. As long as he didn't breathe in my face it was one of his better performances :)

We don't have a spare room and I need him on form. He was up at 7:30 this morning anyway.

pink you're a lot nicer than me too! DH is in my bad books today probably unfairly. I went to bed at about 10.30 and left his bedside light on as he said he wouldn't be much longer. Woke up at 1.30 with him still not in bed so switched the light off assuming he'd gone to the spare room which he does sometimes if he's had a couple of drinks. Then he came to bed about 10mins later by which time I was wide awake and desperately trying to get back to sleep. He then started the loudest snoring ever, which I just couldn't stop - was practically shouting at him to roll over but he wouldn't so I decamped to the spare room and was awake until 4.30 which frankly sucks!!

DD came into my room prob around 6.30 because the rain was so noisy so I have woken up grumpy and knackered and know I am being a moody cow.

I also seem to have been bitten by the nesting bug and all I can think about is sorting through piles of mess and getting the house organised. DH is absolutely not on my page with this and so we keep having petty arguments.

grrrr!!

sorry for a really negative post - I will get over myself!

Sorry to hear of others having a tough time - this pregnancy lark sucks sometimes doesn't it?!

thanks mumoftwo will be ringing doctors tomorrow so hopefully be sorted by then.

hope your feeling better soon whispermen

chin up lisbapalea and i reckon we all have negatives to say about the 3rd trimester :(

xx

Got another migraine so I think I need to give the midwife a call. Do you reckon I should call the labour ward or the out of hours number I have for the midwife?

Labour ward, whisper. If it's pre-eclampsia the OOH will only send you over there to get checked out.

I'm joining the aches and pains club :( I pulled something last night and my whole side has frozen up, I'm teary and DH is going away for 3 days tomorrow and I can't lift DS up. Plus we didn't manage a food shop this weekend so I'll be eking out what we have until he gets back unless I can get into town.

Definitely phone the labour ward, Whisper. They're more likely to be able to see you straight away and get you checked out. Hope everything goes ok!

Sending big hugs your way Nom, that sounds horrible Don't force yourself to go into town until you feel up to it though, will you? Hope you feel better soon!

What is pre-eclampsia? I know it's bad, but I don't actually know what it is, or what they will do to me and I'm too scared to google. Anyone got a quick summary?

Starting to feel the aches and pains too now so is there room in the club?

Actually lisbapalea I've been nesting too, just feeling like I need to tidy everything. Threatened DH with a duster and said I'd tidy him too if anything was put in disarray.

I might try night pads feather along with th ematernity towels - see what I prefer and thanks for the nightdress tip too - any ideas on where to get a thin dressing gown? Good old Primark have let me down.

I'm also taking bottles and things with me with some instant newborn milk in case I can't bf (something that worries me a little)

Pre eclampsia is a condition to do with the placenta. They don't know what causes it but it can make you and the baby very sick. Although it's scary it is fairly common about 1 in 10 first pregnancies, and only serious in about 1 or 2 out of 100. They will check your blood pressure and your urine for protein. They can try and manage it with drugs but ultimately it normally means baby needs to come out early either by induction if c section. You are far enough along now that the baby will be ok.

RING TRIAGE NOW WHISPER!