The Definitlies - May 2014ers!

[MrsFooCough]

Almost there now, May mums!

Stats page: docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvygwA-EKhURdDMwQWNNWGt0cHhmVkloazVVQ0hYNUE#gid=0

Size of baby chart: m.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/articles/how-big-is-baby.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Thats great news dobe !

I'm keen to give hypnobirthing a go too - there may be little evidence from the reviews but unlike pethidine there's no adverse effects for us or baby so I'm thinking why not give it a go! As mumof2 says it would seem that you can control your pain better when calm - and adrenaline is likely to slow things down so anything to reduce that makes sense to me!

but as a first-timer who knows what I'll think at the time!!

I tried Hypnobirthing as my sister had used it for her DC2 and DC3 very successfully - DN2's birth was 100% pain free! (Both also born at home)
DSis said that the worst DN2s labour got was strong pressure. She then squeezed the palm and back of my hand between her thumb and fingers - apparently that was it! (DN3 wasn't quite as easy, but was in v stressful circs)

I had meant to knuckle down and do a lot of practising in my maternity leave, but DS had other ideas and arrived three days later... Oops! I definitely hadn't prepared properly and didn't experience a pain-free labour in any shape or form, BUT, I still think it helped - DSis had warned me that Hypnobirthing mums will often be further along than the midwife thinks as they are usually calmer/more controlled than others at the same stage. This was true for me.
Also, I found the Hypnobirthing techniques very useful during transition/crowning, they were easier than earlier stages for me.

I should dig out my CDs and books and start practising now!

'Top tip' from DSis, an exercise in understanding mind over body:
Get a jug of cold water and tip a load of ice cubes into it. Put your hand in and see how long you can hold it there (time it).
Take it out, warm up, and take a few minutes to breath deeply. Focus on an object or an image in your mind.
Put your hand back in the ice water, continuing your deep breathing. Most will find they can keep their hand in a lot longer while concentrating on their breathing.

Totally agree with long breathing is key.
I concentrated on my breathing for every contraction but I did use g&a for pushing part.

Oh god I feel like such a weirdo. .. I don't fancy gas & air, I really don't like the idea of an epidural, I don't fancy pethidine I don't think... what on earth am I going to do?!

I reckon I learnt Hypnobirthing as being about pain perception and controlled breathing - different practitioners will lead with different aspects, and my teacher was a qualified midwife who'd branched out into teaching Hypnobirthing, so her approach was more practical. This tied in well with what I'd learnt from my sister.

Friends have had more woo teachers that led with the more yoghurt-weaving aspects, and weren't been too impressed (lots of "Visualising fucking rose petals opening didn't fucking help did it!!!" comments after).

The core information is the same, but it does depend how it's presented.

I reckon you really need to choose your teacher v carefully!

long I couldn't handle anything remotely woo. It would lose all integrity with me - super skeptic atheist, science minded and poker of fun at anything remotely woo! I do rate hypnosis though, not as any kind of mind control or anything weird, but it's a great way to relax and focus your mind so I'm hoping to find some science based info on it somewhere.

All the pain advise has been really helpfull thank you
Ideal plan would be pool and gas and air but we will see

I have bad cold and lost my voice feel so yuck, DH enjoying the quite

I'm high risk due to history of spontaneous pneumothoraces (collapsing lung for no reason essentially!) Had to have quite a major operation to stop them from happening nd only allowed to push for half an hour before they intervene and need an extra long second stage. So I'll go for whatever gets me through it, especially when I'll feel like I really want to push and won't be allowed to! Would rather not have epidural as had one for the lung op and it wasn't enormously pleasant going in...and then it fell out while I was asleep so woke up I chronic pain! But fully prepared to go with one if I need it, all very flexible! Def don't want pethidine, haven't heard great things about it.

Trying to work out if dh should get childcare vouchers through his work rather than me. He won't have his averages buggered about by mat leave, will consistently go up grayscale so pension average won't be too screwed. But his colleague reckons I should take them as we'd be better off. It's when I'm trying to work out all the finances that I start to feel I'm not grown up enough for a baby! Aren't parents meant to automatically understand things like this?! I'm 28 now and can still feel eyeballs rolling around in head whenever I try to work it all out!

OH has a job!!!

Just delivering pizzas, but it's a job!!

Whoop for Mr Moomin! Good on him, hope it goes well.

[dobedobedo] Same here, woo gets a nod and smile while I try to think of something non-blunt to say...
A friend of mine uses mindfulness meditation to treat her patients, most of which are referred to her for chronic pain management and has had great success. I'd like to learn to meditate to help with my depression issues anyway, so hopefully relearning Hypnobirthing would help me too.

Argh, brackets, asterisks, bold fail! Darn it.

I had DS at home in water. I had a bit of gas and air but it made me feel v sick and sent me pretty loopy ( like being really pissed). This was the point at which the 2nd midwife arrived (I was naked from waist down with my bum in the air) and I said ' I'm Michelle, this is Phil and this is my arse!'

I'll be trying to stay off the G&A this time!! I just used tens up to the point of getting into the pool and would recommend...even if just as a distraction.

I fully agree with what everyone has said about being relaxed. I'm really not an earth mother type but it really is about mind over matter. I was upright the whole time (walking about or on my knees) and generally tried to stay relaxed and breathing deeply. Gravity was essential for me and actually I couldn't physically sit or lie down...it was really uncomfortable. Best position for me before the pool was on knees, facing sofa with arms resting on sofa. Will try this again.

Fingers crossed for a similar birth this time.

good news mr moomin!

long, my godmother has been given mindfulness training to help her deal with chronic pain from scleroderma, she also finds it incredibly helpful... haven't looked up any papers on it but it certainly has a strong following - I hope the same techniques can help you with your 'black dog'

Night all - it's bedtime for me over here!

Great news Moomin!

Irish...depending on what your package is it might make sense for you to take the child care vouchers as your employer can't deduct their value from SMP (unless you get enhanced package and are paid more than SMP) You will see the deduction while you are earning more (before SMP kicks in) but after that you'll essentially get them for free while claiming SMP. Confusing eh!! Or you could both save them...feels like a bummer now but you'll really appreciate it later when paying child are costs!!

I'm trying the hypnobirthing route this time. With DD1 I took anything going, pethidine and then the epi. Pethidine made me feel out of it and didn,t do much to stop me feeling the pain. Epi caused me to puke all over myself. Lovely! They don't have gas and air in Finnish hospitals.

So with DD2 I read up on hypnotherapy and did read lots of positive stories about childbirth. (I was broke so had no books or courses, just free info on the 'net) Delivered dd2 with no pain relief and it was fine. Deep breathing and bouncing on the birthing ball for the duration of contractions. I felt in control and enjoyed the birth much more.

This time I am trying the natal hypnotherapy book and cd. Still waiting for post to deliver it. Optimistic for a drug free birth this time around.

DH was so sceptical last time and kept reminding me of my drug options. He is a believer now!

Long how are you feeling about your little boy now? I remember we both had that 'meh' moment following scans re gender. I'm getting more and more excited about Charlie having a little brother as he refers to my bump as 'bro' and kisses it all the time...very sweet! I think hormones have a lot to answer for! Also now we have told everyone about our second boy I feel like all the pressure is off!

You know your bump is big when you can balance a pit of Ben and Jerry's on it :)

Choppa I think because I'm a teacher I get an enhanced package: four weeks full pay, two weeks 90%, 12 weeks smp +50% then 21 weeks smp. So would only benefit after first 18 weeks and not sure can claim for them once on mat leave? Oh whhhhy is my bursar so useless, she can't tell me anything, not sure what she actually does except turn down any orders for new equipment or stationery!

Choppa It's all fiiiiine now, thanks for asking!
I'm not all "Woo hoo, I'm having a boy!" but I'm over the self-imposed upset and have got used to the new family picture being of us with two lovely boys. And I still think DS1 will really benefit from having a brother - if we had had a girl, I would've probably been saying "Aw, such a shame DS won't have a little brother".

DS is being very very cute with bump at the moment too, asks to see him "Want to see my bruffa", listens to him, and kisses him good morning and goodnight. I've had to start explaining that he can only see his brother at home as other people don't really want to see my tummy...

In other news, I'm off to collect an eBay purchase tomorrow - a maternity pillow! I got the 'Summer ComfortFit' one that's like a big padded number 6. Fingers crossed it helps me get vaguely more comfortable, will let y'all know of it's any good.
Plus I have an Osteopath appt tomorrow too, so hopefully she'll tweak my ribs, feel like I've got a constant stitch at the moment, it's so sore.

Hello ladies! Anyone else got a lopsided bump? All my pains on right hand side and last night realised only stretch marks that side too! Wonderful. I'll have one half if original figure til birth at this rate (hmmm)!

Irish I'm thinking of doing same about child care vouchers when on SMP, though we'll need to decide if we are going down the nursery route by then !

In other news I have HOT feet! Taking shoes off at work because I really can't cope! It's not even that hot in office!

I need my Mat B1 so I have MW appt for 24/25 weeks at 23+3, I've emailed her to check this is ok, but no reply. Hopefully it'll be ok.

Does anyone else have a "measurable bump ", how will MW measure fundal height of my saggy lower abdomen (lost 5 stone last year/ baby still in filling)?! My bump is all upper abdomen (above bb) and I know that's not the baby!! Gah!

Lovely to read all your progress !

Over and out

Moo

I've got my anomaly scan today, cant wait to see my little man (scrapped Xander, now Mateo, Spanish for Matthew) again.
He decided to wake up last night and for the first time my OH actually overcame his fear and felt baby kick several times. Admittedly it did take me breaking down in tears over the fact that he would never touch my tummy. (He's one of those men that find it really difficult to get their head round a body in a body or whatever bullshit it is that goes through his head).

hobbjobb and sicknspan I think you ladies have yours today too. Hope all goes well. Xx

Thanks mumof2 yes my scan is at midday! I will report back later.
Good luck to all other scanees today xx

Good luck you three (and any more with scans)
Went for the really detailed one up at Birmingham fetal medicine with the consultant sonographer and the baby looks ok apart from the one foot that has talipades (club foot in any other term) so pretty pleased with that .

It doesn't indicate that Sophia will have the same condition that Bella ( our other DD) has so fingers crossed . She might have to have an op when she's born but could be sorted with physio- it's all a bit of a waiting game!

Good luck

Good luck for all the scans today.

good luck with all the scans today!