due in august - part 7

[janeggybee]

hello bellies!!!

olivo I would go ahead and tell your Auntie what you really need/want and if you sense she isnt happy with it quickly offer a few other things. We've had this as well - the one thing we DONT need is newborn sized clothes and I know we will end up getting more. I wish people would ask more often as there are plenty of things we DO need/want. Generally I think if they ask they really do want to know so you may as well tell them!

sarahlou that massage sounds sooooo nice!! were you sitting up or did they have a table with a bit cut out for the bump? I've heard some spas have those.

Aprilgirl that thing with phoning the hosp up when your family was drunk - poor you!! Banning DP from drinking is a good idea - he needs to be ready to help you!

just read through all those posts and can't remember a single thing anyone said except sweaty boobs! , not suffering to badly in that department as i haven't been able to wear a bra since april!

nesting has kicked in badly but i'm far too hot and sore to do anything so going slowly mad! went to the beach again to cool down as it looks like our weather is trying to break, it's been all cloudy and drizzly for hours but still bl*#dy hot

Pink i know what you mean about nesting. I want everything spotless and sorted but I cant bring myself to move so I am slowly losing my mind!

well it is almost 2:30 a.m.

I cant sleep!! Sal is happily asleep. I know he wouldnt mind if I woke him for company but he has to work tomorrow and I can sleep all day if I want. So here I am. Hot. Uncomfortable. Not sleepy.

Do you all remember when that program, Life Before Birth was on a few months ago? We recorded it and I was just watching it again. They were talking about how mother's stress negatively affected the baby and I was feeling really bad. I have gone through a really rocky patch emotionally of crying a lot, losing my temper, heart racing etc. I feel guilty that I have possibly stressed Alex out when all I want to do is make him happy! They were even talking about how it can cause problems later in life.

Sorry all of you, I dont want to make you feel bad as well! I know we've all had stress. I guess I just wanted to be reassured that I wasnt a horrible mother already! My best friend had a very very stressful pregnancy in many ways and her baby is happy, giggly and confident. So I'm sure its fine. I just only want to make him happy.

And I want to sleep!

Good mornining - Eeny I hope you are having a lie in. I cant seem to wake in this heat and keep sleeping in til 9.00am.

I hope its cooler today although it does not feel like it yet.

yesterday I washed and ironed all the white baby vests and babygros from ds, they all look amazing - delighted I did not give them away now. Just home I dont get vests and babygros as presents, if i do I will just take them back. I have enough to open a baby section in Next myself.

Eeny - sorry you couldn't sleep last night. I have the same problem sometimes, although dh was working nights last night so I had the bed to myself! Got told at 6.30am to 'move over' though when he came in from work! Can't seem to get comfy for long these days. If I lay on my left side, I'm ok for around 20 minutes and then I get hip pain so I have to move. Lately, I've been using a v cushion to prop myself up to sleep.

The massage was done with me resting against a very large beanbag on the floor surrounded by comfy cushions and candles. Very relaxing. The therapist got me to lie on one side and she did that half of my back and leg first. I then turned over and she did the other side. Lol at your mention of the table with the 'bit' cut out for the bump! It would have had to be a LARGE cut out!

Just a quick info-dump for those of you having c/sections - I had a follow-up appt as I wanted to change the date to my EDD for various reasons. Gathered a bit of useful info, altho obv only relevant to my hospital, but thought you might want to know:

• Pain relief policy : Spinal only, no hand held (eg morphine) as makes mum too woozy during crucial bonding time; then oral painkillers, eg Voltarol; catheter put in after painkiller & removed the next day (@6am!!!!)
• Suturing methods and policy at the hospital, eg staples vs stitching, what kind of suture material : they use monocrysome (sp?) to suture, no staples; dissolvable
• Policy on skin to skin contact : prefer husband to hold baby until stitching finished; midwife takes baby first to resuscitaire, performs APGAR, quick wipe down, etc
• Who holds baby while mum getting stiched? (see above)
• Ask them to respect the fact that I don't want crappy radio on in the background during section (!) : bring your own CD
• Getting b'feeding established: can I stay until it is established or do I have to go home after 5 nights (they have put this as usual maximum stay except for medical complications) : only stay in more than 3 nights for medical complications
• Recovery period & any pointers for recovery : level of fitness and health of mother pre-op are crucial; get moving gently but early; 2 hours spent in recovery then go to ward Other q's that came up:
• no dimmed lights as deemed too dangerous for c/s
• will meet the team the day before
• no wound drains unless complications
• hosp will shave you; otherwise DIY to level of pubic bone

morning all, sorry you couldn't sleep eeny, neither could i but too sore to get out of bed so i just lie there with cold cloth on my head feeling rotten and invariably fall asleep 10 mins before dp comes in to bed and wakes me and again 10 mins before dd cries to get up in the morning!

hope your all still having lovely weather... gone all gloomy here but still disgustingly hot

sarahlou, so of your massage, it sounds lovely. was supposed to be getting one as a belated b-day present but moneys too tight so it doesn't look like i will now.

hi all wished Id known you were online at 2 this morning eeny as I was up at same time for about an hour watching tv too I just couldnt seem to get any air and had really bad heartburn. I thought today was meant to be cooler??? It rained here early hours but it now feels hotter than ever I really want to clean my kitchen my poor other half is painting around the mess as I just dont seem to have the energy to do it. Got some holiday activity brochures for the children today our council has an excellent scheme just need to get them all booked in. I am going to get them to help me clean out their bedrooms too we have to move them around to fit every one in hopefuly getting some new lino and blinds for kitchen tomorrow too so painting and cleaning needs to be finished wished Id started it all a long time ago before this heatwave. the csections sound incredibly scary to me hope I dont have to have one got my growth scan two in 2 weeks really hope she isnt huge but Im starting to feel like she is going to be. Im really struggling to turn over and even to get in and out of the bath and car now

Dreamy - I bet Eeny wishes she were online at that time too.
By all accounts she was up until about 4:30 last night.
I can see little hints all around the house - magazines, journals, etc etc.

POOR POOR THING!

I know it's way too early for babby to come out, but I want to go in there and get him!!!
Give her conclusion to this VERY LENGTHY-FEELING pregnancy now!!!

POOR THING!

And poor ALL OF YOU for being pregnant in this hottest July in history - what luck eh?

Sorry I meant "wishes YOU were on line!!!"

hope she is having a good rest now though sal Ive got to go and help other half measure up for new kitchen cupboards

Oh and what reassurance can anyone give to Eeny about the mummy-stress-to-baby issue?

thanks Dreamy - have fun with your cupboards!

well ive just spoke to the head mw at my hosp im going at three for a long chat and an indepth tour of the unit and what goes off there she did also let slip whatever i decide after today she will go with [the cons] so if im still not happy i'll get my section

should be happy but feel apprehensive now weird or what miaq thanks for the info

eeny babe make sure you sleep stop worrying zbout house work focus on keeping cool and calm do not worry about being stressednot evryone has lovely fluffy pregnancys as we all know

try having a fan on in the bedroom has made a huge difference last two day s

woke up and its peed it down its now really cloudy and sweaty i want the sun back

sal i think like me when your not working by week 30 you feel like youve been preg FOREVER i think thats alot of my problem espically as poor eeny has been ill with hyperemsis like i said relaxing and not feeling guilty about house work and such which hospital is it you work at btw

eeny, i spent a fair part of dd's pregnancy in floods of tears and stressed to the core and she's a happy, bubbly giggly little thing so i think it's a load of bull really. just because they can sense your stress (and i'm sure they can) doesn't mean their going to be depresseed by it. even now if i'm crying and dd sees she just smiles and giggles at me and gives me a kiss!

poor Eeny has not been able to work since week 11 so she is going stir crazy

Oh, and the fan...?
Eeny has had a fan, pointing directly at her, clipped onto her bedside table for about 2 years!!!!
it's the only way she can sleep

It's now up to a level which normally prevents me walking into the bedroom due to the air resistance
I'm often blown out of bed by it!!

Pink - your DD sounds like the sweetest little thing.
Just the perfect remedy for being stressed!

Maybe the stress-pregnancy thing works in the opposite way then!!

My thoughts are the same as yours - I think it's far more likely that 'stressed' children are caused by their parents arguing and so forth after they've been born, as they can observe it, and copy it.

In your case - diffuse it!

Lovely!

Sal the best thing you can do re the stress, is give Eeny a hug! The lurve hormone (oxytocin) will counteract the cortisol (stress hormone). I wouldn't worry too much though. I have had an incredibly stressful pregnancy and throughout, all my blood pressure readings, pulse rate, etc, have been utterly normal. This is partly because I have used my skills as a compulsive eater to diffuse any stress with countless servings of chocolate, ice-cream, crisps or IKEA herring.

I've got my last check-up with consultant tomorrow. Then the next appointment will be the day before my section to do some pre-op stuff, eg check I've bkini waxed low enough. I am sort of nesting in my own way--life is way too short to iron a babygro, but I did get the dustpan and brush out for a few seconds! Cleaning or ironing will never be my thing!
Before baby comes we have to: sort out, shelve and/or dispose of to charity contents of approx 80 cardboard storage boxes full of old crap that used to be in the attic;
stock new freezer with pre-made pasta sauce and other easy stuff so we won't have to worry about cooking;
finish packing hospital bag for me, DH and baby plus overnight bag for DS (memo to self, buy some toothpaste for all of us);
get bikini wax done!!

aaaaaaaaargh

M in a Q thanks for the useful C-section list. I've got my appt tomorrow so I will be asking about everything incl the dissolvable stitches, last time the midwife had to come round and remove them--it was fine, though.
I'll be quiet now!

Arabica - you are so funny!!!!!!!