December 2013 - creeping closer but no more hospital stays please god!

[LadyMedea]

We are a chatty lot!

Keep us posted! Thinking of you chelsea xx

Oh Chelsea labour must be on its way for good this time! Keep us posted!

molly I can't believe they're not testing you for strep b, sounds so irresponsible considering you have been positive before. If I were you i'd demand it or speak to your doctor. It's something that should be offered to all pregnant women anyway, and especially those who've had it before. I'm going to do my home kit and send it off in a few weeks.

Just had my 34wk mw appointment and baby is head down, and engaged 3/5- yay!! I thought he/she wasn't breech but good to know they're ready for d day! God it was uncomfortable when mw was feeling around! Then the bit where they feel for the neck to see how engaged-ouch!

Also measuring 34 wks so all good! I wonder, babies who are already engaged this early, is there a chance they'll arrive earlier? Tempted to google it!

Oooh, exciting stuff Chelsea! Wishing you the best of luck, let us know how things go

Good luck Chelsea xx

How exciting Chelsea! Wishing you lots of good luck!

Day 2 of mat leave and I am finally packing the hospital bag(s)! Baby's one will be last to pack as I am washing all the clothes which all smelled a bit like our loft! Will sort that one tomorrow I think.

So I am concentrating on mine to begin with and am trying to work out what's best to plan for wearing in hospital bearing in mind I am likely to be having the elcs. Featherbag you're having a c-section too aren't you - what have you packed for yourself to wear?

So far I have a lightweight dressing gown and slippers, three button down nightshirts, loads of granny pants which will go above the scar, and some warm socks (which I can't imagine I will wear as hospitals are always boiling!). I've resisted the temptation to take PJ's or yogapants (have got some with the soft waistband) as I just thought it would be best to leave the scar area as untouched as possible.

I am planning on wearing a long top and maternity leggings to get to hospital, so will just wear the same outfit to leave.

Any other thoughts on clothes I should take?

Can't believe how much luggage I am going to be taking into hospital - it will be my bag, one for the baby, and probably one extra with bulky stuff for us both - nappies, box of breastpads etc. Is that ridiculous?

Poor OH turned and said "Id like to spend Christmas at home for once this year with you and the kids" (his three will be with us Christmas morning. I told him there was no other option anyway! There's no way I would be going to his parents house - his dad still smokes around me but told me I'd kill little bubs taking paraceptamol, there would be 7 adults and 10 children in one living room and if I am breastfeeding I would feel I had to sit in the bathroom for privacy as every other room is smoked in.

We're having his parents over Christmas eve now and my mum and hopefully nan and auntie on Christmas day.

All I want to do is stay at home with family. Most of our big presents are bought, I have all of babies and OHs.

lisba I've got button down nightshirts too, plus big pants! but I also have some soft stretchy pjs and yoga pants. Don't forget peppermint tea bags, I'm told they're essential for ELCS! I've got my bag inventory somewhere down the page if you want a look.

Good luck Chelsea.

Spent the morning in tears. As I put the parking brake on when I was dropping DD at the childminders, I heard a loud snapping sound and then the brake wouldn't work. Luckily it is a flat street, so putting the car in park was good enough. Then we had a 40 minutes screaming tantrum when I tried to drop her off. I came home and when DH rang me because I had emailed him about the car I burst into tears. So I haven't made bread and soup for tea, or finished the ironing, or finished the work I was meant to finish before I left work, but couldn't because we had computer issues. But childminder sent me a picture of DD smiling and playing about 5 minutes after I left her. She just refused to come home when I went to pick her up.

Yey it's all happening Chelsea, good luck!! xx
Christmas plan this year is go see MIL & FIL in the morning, then make the trip up to my M&D's in the afternoon to stay overnight, then round to MIL for Boxing Day. However it's a 2 hour trip up home so slightly worried how we'll all be, especially if I go over. Due 4th so if he's on time (ha!) it shouldn't be too bad but not sure how I'll fancy it if he's only 2 weeks old. But am concerned about my family getting to see bambino as it is so am determined to go, plus it's my first Xmas in the UK for 3 years Only buying little bits for family (hopefully they'll understand) and putting together a package of home-made stuff (making use of Mat Leave now!) so not too much to do once baby's born

good luck Chelsea. you'll soon have newborn cuddles.

Christmas is currently up in the air, think it'll be my family in the morning then DPs mums for dinner then home to sleep. Unless bump is here early, then itll be everyone can come see me. :)
Chelsea good luck and keep us updated.
Im on Day 2 of leave too lisba and still not packed my hospital bag, however i have ironed and put away the bumps clothes, and just put a banana bread loaf in the oven. DP should be home about 3 :) hes been working away so excited to have him home.

Thanks feather - maybe I will pack the yoga pants as well then! And good shout on the peppermint tea; I am also going to pack some spatone and dried apricots - the iron tablets I was given last time were hideous in terms of constipation so I am not going near them this time!

Will have a hunt for your previous list!

I'm impressed with the ironing and baking kchapper! I don't think my motivation stretches to ironing at the moment....

Hope you're OK Loki - I had a day of tears yesterday and it was horrible. Hopefully you'll feel better after a less eventful afternoon / evening!

Good luck Chelsea

Off to midwife in a minute, will be 38 weeks tomorrow, do they tell you if they reckon they have any clue when baby will come, I'm hoping she will stay put until the 30th of november, that will be 3 days after due date, but on the other hand I am quite sick of being pregnant!

Good luck chelsea !!!!!

loki that's awful, I'd be exactly the same, try not to be so hard on yourself about things you haven't done.

Christmas is up in the air for us, we're due the 14th so if he's here and has been here for a week then we might pop into the MILs for a few hours- she's 30-40mins away - and have dinner there. If he's not here then we won't be going anywhere, going to get a turkey joint for the freezer just in case we are at home. I think my mum & dad are driving the 200 miles to ours Boxing Day but that all depends on what stage we're at baby wise really too.

Might be starting my leave a day early and finishing on Thursday instead of Friday as there's been a mix up with how much annual leave I've got, if there is a mix up they owe me a day and I'll be able to finish thurs whoop!!!

Good luck chelsea

mum I think it was you who was asking but for flat/inverted nipples breast shells can really help to gently draw out the nipple rather than squishing it flat like breast pads do. The best solution is to make sure you get a good, deep latch because baby’s natural suction will do the job by itself, but IMO it doesn’t hurt to protect the good work. Bear in mind using the smaller back to help pull the nipple through will probably stimulate your supply and cause leakage!

Hope the car is okay loki Ours is giving up so I reckon we’ll be buying a new one over the next couple of weeks. Found a Volvo for a very good price at a dealer near us so putting some serious thought in there.
molly I’d be cross in your shoes. If you’re positive now at least they can have something in place to manage it and even if you’re negative they should be super vigilant. Not testing just seems irresponsible. Plust if you are positive then surely you shouldn’t be labouring at home because you’ll need IV antibiotics!

Enjoy yoga liz!

I don’t really like Chistmas that much but with an EDD of the 24th I’m actually feeling quite upset that I might not be there Christmas Day! I’m working out a plan to get me and baby out of hospital at least on day release for part of it as the standard stay is 3 days. They might let me out after 2 nights or 36 hours if I can find a MW willing to commit to home visits over Christmas as I really just want to be at home in my own bed. MIL will be there from the beginning of December, FIL is coming up just before Christmas and BIL and SIL are coming too, SIL is staying with us and everyone else is in a hotel. Then my parents are arriving the 27th and staying for a week. And then on 6th January DS is supposed to start school.

Had my 8 months appointment on Friday and was really impressed with how much things have moved on over the last 3 years. Last time I had to fight for all sorts of stuff that’s totally routine in the UK and this time they looked through most of it and said it’s all policy now. Plus I saw a nice older MW who said she personally would have no problem with a natural third stage because 20 years ago it was routine to not give the injection which absolutely confirmed my thinking that obstetrics here is 20 years behind the UK where the injection was routine in the 70s and refusing it started in the 90s! Got a sneaky tour of the delivery rooms too, which were huge compared to the last hospital so plenty of room to move around. Now just the anaesthetist to see and I can really start to get excited about the birth!

I need to chuck a load of baby clothes in the machine so I can actually pack the hospital bag. And do the rest of the stuff on my to do list in the next under-an-hour...

Hi folks - I just need to vent as I have had such a crappy day. (Hope you are okay chelsea)

I'm REALLY sorry about the length

Some of you might know that our builder left behind a literal tonne of rubble from the building job we had done, leaving us to clear it up.

• I ordered a skip yesterday, specifying it to be delivered Tuesday morning, first thing. It's now 15:30, I ring skip people. The guy who took the order did not specify a time so we don't get it until 4:30. DH can't finish work early to help me load it so it's just me in the dark and cold loading bricks into a skip. Worst part is is that we need the driveway back for Thurs eve so we have 48 hours to move a tonne of rubble.
• I ordered a worktop to finish off the kitchen but the comapny will not deliver that particular piece of worktop to the house, I would have to pick it up from the store and they won't cut it in store because 'we don't have the right saw' ... 3 metres of solid worktop to go into the back of a Ford Focus ... yes right.
• Then got blocked in at the car park but a lorry and had to wait 40 minutes.
• Went to the dentist to fix my broken tooth but need local anaesthetic so cannot do it until after LO is born so have a temporary one. Then the stupid receptionist tried to charge me, despite my exemption card, on the grounds that I 'didn't seem to be pregnant' I explained I was eight months she went 'probably because you are wearing black'. Cheeky bint.
• After the gym ball I got was declared too small, I bought another at Argos, only to get it home find that it's 65cm diameter WHEN FLAT not inflated. I returned and they didn't want to give me a refund until I just burst into tears ... and they wouldn't let me use their bathroom either, so left crippled with bathroom pains.
• Jaguar then parked 4 inches away from my car in Sainsburys so I couldn't get out of the drivers side, I had to climb over to the passenger side.
• The isofix base in the car hasn't quite fitted right and beeps constantly at me whenever I go over a speedbump or turn a corner, but it's so heavy I can't shut it up.

Now just crying on the sofa about the day that was supposed to be so much better.

Oh bohemien what a terrible day!
Are u sat with a cuppa and cake you deserve it!!
Argos should have let you use their loo and I would have slapped that receptionist silly!

Hope you have a better evening xx

oh bohemian you have had a rough day. hope something good happens soon to even it out.

I am exhausted today. Slept 8 hours last night and had a two hour nap at midday. I've just got back in bed after getting up for some food. This is worse than first trimester exhaustion :(

whisper I completely agree with you. I'm shattered!

it's ridiculous isn't it storm? I've not even got dressed today. my eyes are so heavy

I had a bath at 12 the put my pjs back on lol.
I'm having trouble sleeping at night so I try not to nap in the day but it makes no difference.
Dp started work later today and he washed up before he left bless him.
Looked in. The mirror after my bath and I am well and truest pregnant lol I can't get any bigger can I!?
I just read on my baby app that third trimester you get the tiredness come back

I've been tired the whole way through!! Lol.
5 & half weeks til due date and it feels like miles away. & I reckon I'm going to be late even though I'd give anything to be early!!

I'm shattered too, just checked the wall I painted in the nursery and it needs a THIRD bloody coat. Crappy cheap b&q paint. So that's 3 more walls I have to put 3 coats of paint on and my SPD is killing me. Could hardly walk back from picking ds up from school.

nom thanks for the advice- but what do you mean by using the smaller back? Will buy the Avent pack of 2 I think and have a look at them.

bohemian what a rubbish day poor you. Put your feet up and eat lots of chocolate and/or icecream!!

Anyone have thoughts on the new incentive the government is offering to women who bf? I think it's insane why not put the money towards giving more support to women who want to breastfeed seeing as the support in this country is so bad.

I agree mum it awful! And those people that can't bf for various reason no milk or are ill etc it's going to make them feel terrible!!
Our government haven't got a clue!

what is the incentive? I haven't heard anything about it

The government will give you £200 in vouchers if you bf