Martians 2014 Thread 14: on intra-uterine discos and knocking stuff over with your bump.

[SuperMuddle]

Come join us on our shiny new thread!

Thanks for the advice on car seats: both our cars have the isofix system so will look into the bases.

I'm stopping work at 35 weeks so only 3 weeks to go!! I have a long drive so working right up to the end didn't seem like a good idea. Although I will probably spend the following week or so finishing off my essays for teacher training.

Quick question. ..

Has anyone been recommended drinking raspberry or strawberry tea? Does anyone know what it's good for?

Drinking raspberry leaf tea is meant to begin around 32 weeks to aid softening of your bits I think (not necessarily the actual reason and /or scientifically proven!)

Raspberry leaf tea (not normal raspberry tea) is meant to tone the uterus to make contractions more effective. I drank a cup each day from 32 weeks, 2 cups from 33 weeks etc. increasing a cup a day each week. Worked for me - first twinge to 10cm dilated was 7 hours, so have bought a ton of it to start again from tomorrow. I drank Clipper red raspberry leaf tea, it's about £1.50 a box in tesco. Never heard of strawberry tea doing anything.

Also, I've been getting awful back pain lately so spoke to my physio and she said all the latest research says its fine to use a tens machine in the third trimester to ease backache, just stop if it increases amount of Braxton Hicks. I was planning to hire one, but the Obi Tens is only £32ish to buy on amazon so I've bought that, will let u know how I get on and if it helps at all :)

raspberry leaf tea is going on my shopping list tomorrow!! I'm determined not to be late with this baby, my mum had me 10 days after EDD, if the theory goes that you follow your mum I'm screwed!

Morning all and happy new year! Making a return to the thread at this ungodly hour. Not sleeping at all well at the moment despite bein exhausted. Very stressed out by work (6wks to go!!) and financials of trying to get our damp old house up to scratch for DD1.

Can someone add me to the Facebook group?

I've bought the raspberry leaf capsules as I hear the tea tastes disgusting - seemed cheaper than holland and barratts on amazon. Though judging by what people say, it makes labour more intense and shorter, rather than bringing on earlier.

I'm in the same boat diz of mum and sisters all being rather late with their births!

Not considering a home birth (can't think of much worse) but hopin for midwife unit with a dash down the motorway if not all goes to plan.

But I do also have a 3 dr car and also getting an isofix. It's a tight squeeE (we went to kiddicare where they checked if it fit - and the brand we wanted didn't) but I suspect easier and cheaper than a new car!

Any mums with experience care to share their experience of whether a travel system is ness or if you didn't really use the at seat on the pushchair frame? Found our pushchair after much searching but as mentioned above the seat that fits it didn't fit in our car. Plus we've been offered a lend of a free one... Seems like a shame to pass it up but will I regret not having a travel system?!

rock will be interested in your tens machine review so let us know how you get on!

Diz buy some high strength evening primrose oil capsules and from 37/38 weeks shove one up you fanjo each night at bedtime (make sure you wear a pad as it can get messy). Your body heat will melt the capsule, and EPO contains prostaglandins that soften the cervix and encourages labour. It took 3 days for me to go into labour after starting that, could be a coincidence but again, I'll be trying it again!

Lottie personally I rarely used the car seat on the pram - it was handy for a quick nip into a shop but supermarkets etc I just used to get a trolley I could put the car seat in and do it that way, plus carrying a car seat gets very heavy very quickly so I think I only used the car seat on the pram maybe 5 times? It wasn't a consideration I was worried about this time anyway!!

Re the Facebook group, you need to PM Lyra with your Facebook profile link so she can add you, I think she's on her hols at the moment but if you send it now I'm sure she will add you when she's back :)

shopping list addition number 2! The good thing is I have a friend who is due about 12 weeks after me, I can pass what doesn't get used on to her to use too!

We have gone for a car seat as we live in the countryside so will be driving most places rather than walking /public transporting.

glad this thread is moving again and having a few new /old Martians appear

Crikey - evening prim up your foofer? DH is in shock about everything late pg/birth related. He's going to love this one.

Thanks for the feedback on car seats too :)

I think that's the last of our worries lol!! The dark underbelly of prego that noone talks about!!

Rock I am so doing the evening primrose this time round (and the raspberry leaf). Went 2 weeks over last time and REALLY don't want that to happen again.
Lottie I still have 6/7 weeks to go too - what kind of work do you do? Nothing too physical I hope. I went to hairdresser the other week and one of the staff there was really heavily pregnant and still standing/sweeping up hair/generally rushing around. I felt so sorry for her (and made me feel bad for moaning about my 'sitting on my arse' office job). I can't wait to finish work - I'll miss my colleagues but the commute with this heavy belly (combined with the sleepless nights) is exhausting.

Being 42 weeks pregnant is AWFUL! Went to 42 with DS (just avoided induction) and 8 days over with DD. my mum was induced at 42 weeks with all 3 of her kids so god knows how long she'd have gestated for, given the opportunity.

I have been feeling super blue and whale-like, so went for a wax today to lose my winter coat (could feel my leg hairs billowing in the wind, they were so long). Had bikini wax too and it absolutely killed! Woman who did it says it always hurts more in pregnancy because you have more blood and nerve endings are more sensitive. Christ, not doing that again in a hurry. Have decided though I am going to treat myself to a pregnancy massage soon - back is killing me.

I have yet-another-scan next week too. If all looks ok then it should be my last one. I can't believe I still have 2 months to go - am feeling enormous! Was 8 stone before this pregnancy. Am now ten and a half; my neighbour told me the other morning that I looked "ready to blow".

Forgot to reply to Yogi from last page. I've been given 2 extra growth scans because last baby was a 10lb-er. Looks like this one is measuring big too. They will scan again mid-Feb then I'm going all out for an early labour (hence my delight in hearing Rock's evening primrose success). Not sure if it's possible to request a stretch&sweep at 38 weeks but if it is I'll be straight in that MLU asking for it!

pirates loving the hair billowing in the wind!! lol!

Omg rock are you serious about the evening primrose oil?? Don't think I fancy that, tho I might change my mind if I go 2 weeks late! Think it's worth trying the raspberry leaf tea....is it too much to hope it'll taste like raspberries?

7 weeks of work left for me, til I'm almost 38 weeks, no idea how I'll manage since with the commute it works out about 10 hour days.

best and worst xmas present is prob the same gift, trx suspension straps. Best cos they're a great workout, but worst cos I can't use em til March now!

welcome newbies!

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't been on in so long. I will try and come on more often. Welcome newbies.

I drank raspberry leaf tea from about 30 weeks last time and whilst I went 6 days over, I had a short and easy labour. So I'm definitely going to drink it again.

Totally serious about evening primrose Mac :) raspberry leaf tea tastes a bit twiggy, but it's not unpleasant and you get accustomed to the taste very quickly, it's not as strong tasting as for example green tea. It's also good to drink postnatally as it helps your uterus shrink back down to normal size quicker.

I'm not looking forward to after pains at all as my uterus shrinks back down. I will be arming myself with paracetamol (which probably won't touch the sides)

When are you all planning to start drinking it? I'm going to put EPO on my shopping list right now.

pirates I must be about the same. Can't believe my stomach still got so much growing to do my boss patted my stomach and told me I looked huge on Friday. Cheers!

pain I'm on my arse all day - it's more the stress and long days. 10/11 hours for 7/8 days straight is standard. It's a high pressure, daily deadline job and I had a good team behind me to take over but actually two have handed in their notice. My deputy leaves two weeks before I start matenity (at 37 wks) so there's no one to step in... No one seems to want to address what is going to be a chronic and stressful lack of staff in the next few weeks. There seems to be no urgency about recruiting staff. Rant over!!

My worst Xmas pressie? An open bottle of wine. All wrapped up. Just bizarre. Best? L'ocvitane almond oil attached to a voucher for a maternity massage. Can't wait!

An open bottle of wine?! Very strange! I got a voucher for a massage and must get booking - my back is killing me now my bump is getting big. I will also have a look for raspberry leaf tea, although I have a terrible habit of buying special teas and not liking them so they sit around in my cupboards making me feel guilty. Not sure I can face epd up the fanjo though...

I will buy some raspberry leaf tea when I go shopping this week and have a cup a day for a few weeks, then go up to two cups a day. Don't know if I will be able to drink much more than that, hot drinks fill me up so much and I will be weeing constantly!

Yes the night time wees are a particular terror. I've bought some RL capsules from amazon - about a fiver - but you can have one a day early on I think then up dosage. Sounds preferable to rank tea to me!

Welcome to the newbies! Can you tell us more about yourselves? How have your pregnancies been and what kind of birf are you having? Nice to have you here.

My worst Christmas present was a sling. I intend to use it to catapult the remote control to DP to save my fat arse getting off the sofa. I love telly, me.