June 2014: New Year, new trimester, new thread! June bugs no 7!!

[hackneybird]

Ding dong!

Well, I'll let you all know afterwards how it went. I need some lunch and then we might get an early start, we were going to leave at 3 but it's high tide at that time and we're under flood warning so some roads might get blocked off.

Great news Lady, so pleased you've got some peace of mind at last!

Thanks Vicky, will check up on how SIL is in a bit. Which NCT class are you going for? The one in my area for June due dates is the Essentials, which is a bit cheaper than the Signature. I wasn't too fussed though since beyond the science of it, we know practically nothing!

Good luck this afternoon Bee and hope you make it there in good time. Re. NCT sales- as far as I understand anyone can go but if you're a member you can get in earlier.

Riblet - I can totally relate on the memory, I was all over the place for most of the first trimester. The fog seems to be lifting a little now.

I have to say I'm liking the time off for midwife appointments. Off to my 16wk check now which means no more work for the rest of today probably! Plus I got to WFH in my dressing gown this morning and didn't have to venture out in the awful weather.

Someone on the bus is eating cheapo fried chicken, I would never eat it but it smells amazing!

I'll be going to NCT, the class will be just around the corner for me. I'm looking forward to meeting some parents to be locally. I'm was mainly going for the social side although it has become clear that we'll be needing all the info they can give... Last night DH said "so what do we actually do with the baby in the first week?".... I didn't know the answer! Just feed it I guess

Has anyone ever done the NCT refresher course? I still see my NCT group from first time round but as I don't work locally they are the only people I know so be good to meet a few more maybe?

Is it worth it?

Bee a 50 mile trek does seem like it would make it feel hard to want to meet up. In my NCT group, there was a couple who lived in the same borough, but right at the other end of it - they were only assigned to our group due to lack of availability at classes nearer to them. It took the mum 2 bus rides to meet up with us all as the rest of us lived nearer each other. Naturally she got hacked off with it and stopped coming to our meet ups, and we all lost touch with her as she ended up making friends at groups nearer to her house.

If you are the sort of person that anticipates attending local baby classes regularly, you'll end up meeting mums at those anyway. NCT classes aren't the be all and end all.

summer if you're really keen on the hardcore technical info, I'd go to hospital classes as well as NCT. NCT are good, but very biased towards natural birthing, and you should know the facts about all the other delivery methods and interventions just in case.

I have heard some funny stories about NCT classes - one friend of mine was told by her teacher that if you want a water birth, when your contractions start, to ring the hospital when you are on your way in so that they can start running the pool for you in advance! Such nonsense. Same teacher told them that during labour the bed was for Dad to rest on while the Mum did active birthing.

hackney Snort, that sounds likely. When my cousin was giving birth there was a Stressless armchair in the corner of the room for partners. The midwife said to her husband several times 'oh, wwhy don't you sit down?' and she always grabbed his arm and said 'don't you dare sit down and get comfy, I'm not comfy either!'

Waiting to get parked at the hospital - does anybody else's hospital regularly have a 40 minute queue to get into the car park?

I've had an extra large Starbucks because some people say to have coffee and sugar to make sure baby is awake for the scan, but it's hard on my bladder.

I do agree NCT is good for the dads. I had read loads of stuff and of course told DH but for some reason when I tell him stuff it goes in one ear and out the other
Good luck summer and BEE. I get my 16 week appt tomorrow which means I get to work from my bed, woohoo!

Oh and summer for the first week you try not to kill it Essentially feed it, burp it, change it and repeat with a few hours of sleep in between. First two weeks were great with dh on paternity and we slept whenever we could and did very little.

Marlena that is such a good point - NCT does make the Dads engage a bit more than they might normally do.

In our class we had to do some of the touchy feely stuff - making lists of the things in our lives that we would miss most after baby was born etc. That is not DHs style AT ALL but it was actually very helpful. We were paired with another couple to do the task with, and they came up with a massive list of all the really healthy things they did with their time, such as going rambling in the countryside and swimming in rivers and such. All DH and I could come up with was 'going to the pub'. And do you know what, I really cannot remember the last time I was in a pub. (Although I went to one briefly in December, but it doesn't count because I wasn't drinking alcohol:) )

summer the first week you'll be fine, it's amazing how much you do on instinct.

And as Marlena says, don't try to do anything other than feed and change. If you plan on breast feeding, be prepared to spend nearly all your time sitting around doing just that (I went through box sets of Entourage). And minutes after they have been fed, they poo, so they need to be changed, and by the time you've changed them they are hungry again.....

If you expect that then it can be very relaxing! And if you have relatives visiting get them to make the teas and rustle up some evening meals.

I'm feeling very nostalgic now, and really looking forward to being on maternity leave.

I havent been on for ages ... hope everybodys ok.... anybody had 20 week scan yet? Do we know any team pinks or team blues?? Xxx

Hi Hannah So far I can only remember a few pinks? Myself and someone else found out super early as we did harmony test and we were girls, and I think there was another girl on here but I cant remember any boys (but that said the threads go by so fast its hard to keep up).

Feeling rubbish today and not at all pregnant just blah. Have my midwife appointment on Weds (17 weeks) and convinced that something will have gone wrong. Ah the worrying - it never ends does it?!

I agree NCT is v biased towards home births but we had a lovely antenatal teacher who I'm still friends with who went out of her way to cover anything the group wanted c sections interventions etc. She even prepared us for the number of people required in theatre & what they all do which is v intimidating when you're there (whole team for you & whole team on standby for baby)

The Dad's thing is a good point - we had to do 1 task where the men & women went off separately & drew pictures of what we thought would happen to the others appearance. Our 'male' was unshaven tired etc etc - their 'female' came back naked (wasn't a specific requirement) & absolutely horrendous teeth falling out skin hanging off everywhere boobs to the floor & speech bubbles of abuse. I think people weren't sure whether to laugh or cry that that was their partners expectations!! Either way it helped them I think. My husband was repeating all sorts of things back to me in labour (I had to tell him to shut it repeatedly!!) :)

I didn't do NCT last time because couldn't justify the cost, met lots of mums at children's centres including someone I now count among my closest friends. How did it go BEE? I have a hospital may decide appt tomorrow at 1 (for reasons I'm not yet sure of :)) then 16 am appt (at 16+6) on Wednesday. Looking forward to it but think I may be told off after a sneaky check on the scales said I'd put on 10lb since booking...

belly I don't remember being weighed at all last time. Hoping they don't tomorrow, although my very inaccurate scales say I have put on far less than my ever expanding bottom is suggesting!

I am most dreading the teeny weeny pee pots. Not so bad at 16 weeks but ridiculous at 36!

Managed to book a holiday for Easter weekend. I am so excited. DH went skiing with DD in December and I have been very miserable (and jealous!) but now feel like I have something to look forward to (well other than a baby but the holiday is 13 weeks and the baby is 24 (hopefully!))

I have just remembered the hilarity of when they asked the men to put a nappy and baby grow on a doll. One of them had no idea at all!

20 week scan went great, just left hospital now we're off to have dinner to celebrate. Baby was in awkward position so no guesses as to gender and a few truly strange photos!

Lovely news, BEEwitched

Excellent news BEEwitched

Just gt back home after visiting a friend who had her baby on Friday after an emergency c-section due to pre eclampsia. The baby is tinny but doing relatively well in the neonatal unit. It was a very emotional visit. I had to put a very brave face when I saw them. Came home and just cried for a few minutes looking at DS thinking how big and strong he is after that initial shock and difficult days.

Congratulations ladygonegaga Great news!

Marlena holidays sound like a fantastic plan :)

Z furniture

Great news Bee . Enjoy your dinner :)

My husband liked the nct classes more than me even as he said he finally felt less helpless.

Back to work today. Actually wasn't too bad but bloody exhausting! Weirdest experience too - had to leave a lesson to be sick (to their credit, the class of 15 year olds didn't notice and carried on working!) - just popped into staff toilet opposite my classroom, door slightly ajar. When I came out, there was a small child waiting outside who said "ah miss I thought that was you, do you have any stencils?!" I actually laughed in his face! Strange child!

ps don't mention hospital car parking! when we went for our scan we queued for 45 minutes. When I actually went to give birth, baby arrived in 15 minutes.....I'm thinking if this pattern continues I'll be giving birth in the car park this time.

Congrats. Bee - really glad it went well.

Marlena - are you flying to go on holiday ? I would love to get away then but not sure if I might be a bit near due date