The PESH are waddling their way to Christmas & trying not to freak out!

[FrankelInFoal]

The ante-natal fred for BESH graduates.

Recent Grads (aka CRESH)

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013
LazyMachine (38) boy EDD 9/2/13 - need an actual arrival date!
CamelKnees (34) EDD 22/04/2013 - need actual arrival date!
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
fertilityFTW (34) arrival date needed!
pinkr, (33), girl born 25th August 2013
Jethro (36) boy born 23rd September 2013

Waiting to lay:
Noks - EDD 28/12/2013
Frankel - EDD 4/3/2014
Sinky - EDD 18/3/2014
Ginfox - EDD end April 2014
Kat - EDD needed
Drizz - EDD 7/6/2014
Draf - EDD 19/6/2014
Winks - EDD 29/6/2014

Apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

Thanks Merkin. Would you mind saying which clinic you used?

Winks that doesn't sound like a fun afternoon. I hope you are doing ok.

Sorry to hear about the bleeding Winks, though glad to hear that heartbeat was good and Drs are not concerned.

Also hoping for a mosey at pics soon Noks, but in the meantime hope you are safely back at home snuggling with your ESHlet. Do we have a name yet?

Am ok euro thanks, a bit tired and weepy and my arm hurts from the jab (bit of feeble self pitying there!) but nothing a bit of trash TV and an early night won't cure. How are you doing? I can't believe you're still bleeding, what a headfuck.

Winks thank you for thinking of me. I'm not surprised you are feeling tired and weepy. It must have been a real relief to hear the heartbeat though.

I'm doing ok. Thinking that the next scan seems a long way off even if we do the Harmony (more than 2 weeks away, which seems like an age, more like 4 weeks if we wait for the NHS - gah).

noks the ESH demand a squidgy baby photo! I hope you are doing ok.

I'm so bloated I think I am going to have to do some shopping soon. Particularly for bras. I am popping out of all my B cups. But I don't really want to be buying anything yet. Hmmm.

It was a relief. It took the doc a little while to find it, same as the midwife, I think this baby is hiding quite low in my womble (which may or may not be related to the bleeds). I'm sure time feels like its standing still for you, the passage of time in the first few weeks just defies all laws of physics. Re the bras, I bought two supermarket sports style bras, very comfortable but cheap enough to fling in the bin and never see again if it went wrong.

Bra wise I recommend the cheapy M&S non-wired t-shirt bras, that's what I've made do with. They're only £14 for 2, or thereabouts, so much cheaper than "maternity bras". I got away with only upgrading my bras once, as I've now got some bra extenders as my back seems to be increasing in size, but not my cups

Winks what a crap day, but yey for the heartbeat.
Euro, turns out I was dreaming that the place that did my Harmony had a Harley street branch, they're only in Richmond after all (google Richmond practise if you're interested). Don't know where you are but I was super impressed with them (had early scan, harmony and another scan all with them) so may be worth considering if not too much of a trek

Glad to hear all is okay, winks. Fingers crossed that all continues to be well for you and euro - bleeding sounds so scary.

Nothing too exciting going on here, aside from my rapidly-expanding waistline. It may be small, but there is a definite bump now and it's getting bigger by the minute. I keep getting stretchy-twinges too, and have had to get a couple more pillows so I can read in bed without lying flat on my back.

:) to your little bump draf. HWCA thinks I have a small one, I think I just look even fatter than normal. I had to go to court yesterday, luckily I had a shift dress that had been roomy on me but I didn't feel like it was a good look.

Aw balls, I completely forgot I had pilates tonight. Its bloody paid for!

Morning hags, hope everyone is doing ok. We haven't heard from Gin for a while, hope everything is ok with her.

Euro I noticed on the BESH thread you said you were feeling bloated. I has horrendous bloating in the first trimester and what really helped me was taking Acidopholus tablets every day and also changing from Pregnacare vitamins to Sanatogen, all on Nurse Faith's advice

I knew there was something else I wanted to ask!

Hospital bags, again: how many sleep suits/baby grows should I pack. Would 2 of each suffice as a starter.

Also, washing baby clothes pre-arrival: what's everyone's recommendations re washing powder and temperature?

I do pretty much all washing except towels and bedding with any old non bio liquid at 40 degrees. This includes baby clothes. Detergent is usually aldi unless fairy is on offer.
When the nipper is here you may need to put the odd vest and sleepsuiton at 60 for stain removal purposes but I find 40 sufficient most of the time.

Unless booked for c section in advance I would take three baby vests and slepsuits and one hat and one cardigan. You can always get more brought in if you have a longer stay.

I suppose the amount you'll need will depend on how long you're in for? Is the hospital near enough so HWHNN can pick up more stuff?

With washing, the NHS say non bio and no fabric conditioner. Your question made me panic because I don't think I would have even considered doing anything but chucking them in with normal powder (at 30). My poor baby doesn't stand a chance!

I use a 40 degree wash and Fairy non bio. I also discovered that even when poo stains remain on a vest or babygro if you hang them outside in the sunshine the stain disappears.

:)

Me neither, winks - and the idea of washing stuff before using it confuses me anyway. What's the rationale behind washing clean clothes, and why not use biological powder or fabric softener?

Oh, and names for baby clothes baffle me as well. What's the difference between a sleep suit and a babygro? Aren't they the same thing?

I think the all in ones with legs are sleep suits or babygros, no legs and they're vests (arm length irrelevant.) I wouldn't use biological washing powder or fabric conditioner because it irritated my sister's eczema so probably won't do delicate baby skin any good. Not sure about pre - washing, but I did get a rash once from wearing PJs that hadn't been washed, maybe some clothes soak up factory chemicals, or damp from sitting around in shops and stock rooms?

From my understanding, biological washing powder has enzymes in it to break down the stains in clothes, but these enzymes can irritate a baby's sensitive skin.

As I see it the rational behind washing before the baby arrives is just to get rid of anything that might irritate their skin - dust and other allergens, particularly if the stuff has been hanging around for months.

As far as I'm concerned: sleep suit = full length arms and legs with built in feet. Baby grow/vest = short or long sleeved but with no legs.

Oh yes and hospital is only 30 minutes drive away so HWHNN will be dispatched to pick up additional items if needed.

I did read that you should, if you can, lay out some of your own clothes that can be picked up should you have a longer stay than anticipated. Blokes are not great at coordinating women's clothes though so it's best to put stuff out yourself instead of risking him picking something inappropriate - eg short skirt and no tights in the middle of winter

Winks how are you feeling today?

frank is it all feeling very real now? Thanks for the tips re: bloating.

merks Richmond is a bit of a trek from my neck of the woods. I think i'll end up at the FMC.

I'm still bloody well bleeding. Day 9 now and i'm a bit sick of it. I thought it was stopping yesteryda, but it has ramped up again today. Why can't this be easier? I don't think it helps that this day (one day before 8 weeks) is when I miscarried last time (although the foetus had stopped developing by 6 weeks). Meh.

On a lighter note, I had my GP appointment this morning (no self-referring to midwife where I am). It was completely pointless. He took my blood pressure and then filled in a form that I could have done in about a fifth of the time. I had to repeat everything several times and couldn't convince him of my dates. He couldn't get his head around my LMP and EDD dates not matching up by a few days (because I had EC earlier than day 14). He was also insistent on knowing the transfer date despite me already telling him the EC date, so I then had to convince him that the ET date was irrelevant. Despite the fact that my clinic and the EPU have both confirmed my due date as 28 August, he wasn't having any of it and insisted on his date going on the form so I handwrote my own date on the form before I handed it in to Reception on the way out . Gotta love the NHS. Why they can't just get you to fill in a form (with accurate info) yourself I have no idea.

Because plebs patients can't be trusted...

I am, of course, joking... I entirely agree. The NHS is crumbling under the demand and it's still insisted we make appointments to watch someone else fill in a form. The mind boggles.

I like wearing new clothes before washing- I always think they feel new, iyswim. But, have been convinced to wash baby clothes when it was pointed out that they'll have been sitting in a store room, with dubious cleanliness, out on a shop floor etc etc.

I currently have one work skirt that fits, and no trousers. My skirt, always mid thigh (worn with thick tights of course) is gradually creeping up.. Am a little worried I'll be indecent by the time I finish... Still have 6 weeks to go..

I completely agree, sinks. I was sitting there thinking that the appointment could have been far better used.

Generally the GPs at this surgery are fine (on the rare occasions I go there). I think I will avoid seeing that one again. He just seemed a bit... slow.

Show 'em your bum, sinks. You'll be showing plenty of other people soon enough. :)

It's feeling scarily real Euro, once I get past next Tuesday (34 weeks) she will no longer be classified as premature.

Sorry to hear the bleeding is still going on. Do you get to book your 12w scan yourself or do you have to wait for a letter from the hospital?

Still bleeding euro? That is spectacularly shit. I am sorry. If it continues I would go back to EPU and get another scan for reassurance, waiting til a 12 week scan sounds too unpleasant. How are you coping with this complete head fuck and work?! Btw the GP sounds thick and slow. I have had to explain to everyone that they wouldn't change my due date (despite measuring ahead from scan 1, and the embie was a blast on "day 4") because it was IVF and the clinic claims it knows lembie's real age. Appointments to fill in forms are tedious. As are the times people ask about birth defects in the family. Surely it must be in my notes about twelve times by now ?

And massive sorry for your afternoon as well winks, how are things now? When is your next scan?

I am liking the bottom-show sinky. Maybe switch from tights to leggings if it gets too terrible? Also one outfit for six weeks might be a challenge. Do you have enough days off to wash or are you both indecent and a little smelly?

Wow, frank, nearly no longer premature :) it's getting real girl. But than the one and only real frankel has foaled, so it's only fair you're following suit!

Btw I've made notes and hospital bags and washed baby clothes. But it'll be okay to go over all this again sometime towards the end of May, right?