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

[SuperMuddle]

Come join us on our shiny new thread!

Hi all,

Been catching up on the thread- missed loads!

I was anti-slings as well but when I went for a walk the other day I had a sudden panic over how I would go for a walk in the gorgeous countryside on my doorstep with a baby in a buggy- so I spoke to my friend who is a midwife and she recommended either a Moby or a Mei Tei. After a lot of research I'm going with a Moby :-)

Also going to invest in grobags or such like- don't have to worry about blankets etc then. Wasn't going for a baby monitor as in a flat, but after visiting friends with a 5 month old over the weekend who also live on a flat we may now get the angelcare movement monitor so I'm not up and down like a yo yo checking she's still breathing etc!!

Work becoming challenging-am a nurse, it's exhausting. Finish 4 weeks tomorrow- can't wait!!!

Even though in planning a homebirth (seeing midwife today about it), am probably going to have a 'hospital' bag packed just in case- that way everything I'm likely to need straight after is in one place so hubby will know where to find things.

yogi where in surrey are you? I'm in surrey too :-)

Just got in contact with local NCT and also LLL so hoping to meet some other mums to be in my area :-)

Hope everyone is well! Not long now :-)

Would like to join in with a general moan about the exhaustion (and to think I could potentially have another 3 months of this if I go overdue again - agh!!). I'm with diz on the insomnia front but luckily the heartburn has gone away at last. Had planned to sleep during my lunchbreak today but find myself on here catching up with you lot! Slings I would love to be a fly on the wall at your next AN class. Do they do any free NHS ones your way? I did those a few years back and they were really good - not patronising and had lots of good advice (although I can imagine there's probably a lot of variation between hospitals - maybe i just got lucky with a good midwife). mummyk I salute you for still being at work in such a physically demanding job. I've been whinging about how knackered I am when, aside from the commute, I get to sit on my backside at a desk all day. I hope your colleagues are looking after you and letting you take plenty of breaks.

I'm very lucky- work have been very accommodating- if I'd been in my last workplace I'd have had a nightmare!! I've been so lucky with allowances for appointments etc too :-)

Pain, I honestly thought I was attending a NHS class. Fuck knows what Left-wing quango are running this breast-fest...

I'm loving how my baby's pointless, rapid rabbit punches have suddenly evolved into deliberate, slow, stretches of its body. Anyone else managing to feel actual ends of limbs? I can't tell what's a heel and what's a fist but I can almost properly grab them and I feel suddenly as though baby is reaching out to me as opposed to simply testing out its movements or having an epileptic fit

I feel very blessed and happy today

Yeah,slings I get distinct body parts poking out. I think knees are a culprit too. I love pushing them back in so he sticks them out again. It's a comforting reminder that no matter how shit things seem there's happiness ahead!!

Mine seems to be rolling about more than kicking now. My belly sort of undulates. It's pretty freaky. I'm convinced I'm about to have an Alien moment.

Raspberry leaf tea - from the research I read (and there isn't really a great deal available), it seems it shortens one of the stages of labour but I forget whether it is the first or second. Anecdotally it supposedly helps with afterpains and that is certainly my experience - first time round I got stabbing pains every time I breastfed at first whereas last time I had no afterpains at all.

Third stage of labour - I was supposed to have a natural third stage both times but the first time round I assumed that midwives would know what this meant so ended up with controlled cord traction which is very dangerous when you haven't had the injection but thankfully everything was fine. Last time I had a proper natural third stage and intend to do the same again this time.

Lottie, I've used GF routines with both of mine but also used slings, elimination communication, baby led weaning and co-sleeping. Neither have spontaneously combusted so far.

mummybee, when I wanted a homebirth, I discussed it with DH and we made a pros/cons list (with the cons mainly being his concerns and the pros mainly being me telling him the benefits). I then addressed most of his concerns based on reading I had already done and then he made a list of questions which I asked a number of online friends who had had homebirths. Once we had done all of that he was happy with the idea of a homebirth. I think partly it's that homebirth is not the norm and is more of an unknown whereas hospital birth is the standard/default choice which makes the idea of a homebirth seem scary.

baby monitors - we have one for two reasons: 1) I wouldn't hear my daughter very easily without one and 2) I hear the child next door crying (semi detached house) so it means I know whether it's ours or theirs crying.

Yes! I love the stretching and rolling movements (as opposed to the kicking/punching that I was getting before). I still get the odd sharp kick which is now forceful enough to make me visibly jump but the frequency is much less. Undulating is a good word (will steal it from Fox) - when baby starts doing this my kids get really excited. I'm so happy they are sharing the whole experience with us and are old enough to realise what's going on. I just hope they're this enthusiastic after the birth though. Btw - I went past my local Sainsburys earlier and they're doing the 'third off all baby stuff' offer. Not sure if that's nationwide for all Sainsburys or just my local one but it's worth checking it out -I might start stocking up on nappies/breast pads/maternity pads etc.

BadlyWrittenPoem, how do you prevent your baby sleeping all day when it is in a sling? Do you treat it as a cot and simply take the baby out to play on a mat or summat?

Hello everyone, a late introduction!
I am so glad to find this very active thread, with such funny mums on it! I am an American who has recently moved to West Yorkshire, and I've decided to move my thread presence over too---largely b/c the thread that I posted on in the US was so deadly earnest and boring! Anyway, we're expecting a babe in mid-March, so if you see my around, you'll know who I am...

Thanks BWP! I think I'll try and get him to be sensible this weekend. FYI on the subject of baby offers: tesco have their baby event online now and in store from next week. Asda have theirs online from next week and I store the week after. Wait rose have theirs online now. Mothercare have a £5 off £30 spend from today. Hope that helps someone!! Xx

Yeah,slings I get distinct body parts poking out. I think knees are a culprit too. I love pushing them back in so he sticks them out again. It's a comforting reminder that no matter how shit things seem there's happiness ahead!!

Hello all, long time no post - sorry about that!

Just checking in with you all and to day hi to all the newbies that have appeared since my last fleeting visit.

I'm 32+1 today and have to confess that I am not actually Team Yellow, but Team Pink . We found at at 20 weeks and were going to keep it a secret but DH let slip to his brother , so we decided to go ahead and tell people.

I've been doing pretty well, no real problems other than the odd dizzy spell which my midwife has put down to low blood pressure. I'm on course for a midwife-led birth, all being well, and gave my tour of the new Rosie Birthing Centre booked in a few weeks time.

I've also started antenatal classes and am doing Lazy Daisy which I suppose is a type of hypnotic thing! but not quite as hippy as some out there

I'm finishing work on 31st January, when I'll be 35+3 and am counting down the days!

Hope everyone us keeping well and will try to be a better Martian

"hypnotic thing" should read "Hypnobirthing", but I guess it's kinda the same thing!

Welcome Aloya! A Yank, eh? Nice to see you around these parts. Do you say 'purse' instead of 'handbag' and 'pumps' instead of 'stilettos'? Some of us are right sweary bastards on here (actually, that would just be me), so do forgive

I have to admit I've started to speak to my baby more since I was made to feel like an uncaring scrote at the antenatal class. I must say it's odd trying to talk to a baby whose sex is still a mystery. I end up cooing to my Walter/Nancy and then apologising if I've got the name wrong

Frankel, long time no see! A lickle bird told me you left us because we were a bit too 'hunny' and 'babydusty' for you. Nice to see you've changed your mind.

Oh I admit I'm not a fan of hunning and baby dusting - that's what 3 years of gut-wrenching TTC will do to you I'm afraid! But I'm also horrendously busy ATM and just couldn't keep up with you chatty lot! I can't promise I'll be posting regularly, but I do try to keep an eye on my fellow Martians when I can.

badlywrittenpoem pray what is elimination communication!?

Spoke to a friend with a 4 wk old last night. Her first. Bit of a reality dose about sleep, feeding etc but her main advice was not to focus on labour and read up on what the eff to do with a small person.

That was right before our first antenatal class. It seemed ok. Nice group of other couples and run by midwives so seems all quite realistic so far. Nothing told that haven't read on MN or books mind but got some lowdown on our local birthing units etc.

sling I also feel super weird speaking to androgynous bump. DH and I keep saying we won't speak in silly voices the whole time when DC arrives. We are already failing at this.

Bargain hunters - amazon have 74 newborn nappies delivered to your door for £7.65 and 640 buggies pure wipes for £6.99 a box which ends tomorrow - something like £18 off.

Hello Martians,(waves enthusiastically) I am due 26th March, I decided to be brave and de-lurk! This will be my 1st dc, I am also loving having an energetic bump dweller and how much the movements freak out my oh!

Slings you're antenatal class sounds hilarious. My partner and I were discussing our tutor this evening and have decided that she will most likely reveal herself to be stranger and stranger as the sessions go on. She's already admitted to having a thing about placentas

Thanks for the special offer advise - am thinking I need to do something about getting my bag ready. That and some where for the baby to sleep.
Tomorrow I have a scan to check on the position of the baby. Its exciting to think that I'm going to see them again!

Hello lurkers :)
badly nice to see you and your long post.

I talk to bump like I talk to my cats: how cute and adorabledand how well he/she us behaving and narrating my day essentially. I love it when oh gets involved and promises to be the most embarrassing dad ever!

So jealous of all you still getting scans I have intermittent mw appointment (with different person each tine) where she takes my wee, prods for a bit and asks whether I'm happy at home. ..

Thanks for sharing bargains. I picked up a baby bath for nothing on eBay the other day.

Yogi, the members themselves seemed lovely, except for one woman who was on her fourth baby and simply thought she Knew It All. Aren't women like that just fucking tiresome? Every topic discussed she interjected to give us her little anecdote and she kept bleating on about how nothing we have read/seen/heard/researched will ever prepare us for the actual event. Oh do fuck off, dear..

Clearly she needs to buy a telly.

..Oooo! Yeah, fanks, Lottie, for your nappy-buying tip. I'm very grateful for that.

You wonder why the woman on her 4th baby has fine really if she knows all about it anyway!!

My baby due 2 months today!!

Supposed to be gone not fine!

I might get them nappies of Amazon too. Although I think you have to spend £10 to get free delivery. It still feels really weird buying baby things. I don't really talk to the bump. I don't even really think about it. I still don't quite believe I'm having a baby, just that something a bit weird is happening to my body.

lib at my MW appointments she always asks me if I smoke. If I said 'no' last time she asked, and the time before, and the time before that, and that I've never smoked, I wonder what makes her think I'm about to take it up now.