February 2014 - all our bags are packed, we're ready to go...

[sunflowered]

Well... we're getting there at least, and definitely ready to meet the first thread baby!

Hope you get seen soon Sunflowered. I agree with the others that you definitely need to get that checked out. Hope all's ok and as you say you just look a bit rough through lack of sleep! X

sunflower glad you're getting checked out, that sounds like more swelling than normal. I hope it's nothing to worry about.

I finally managed to get back to sleep. I'm getting fed up of waking between 4-6.30 each morning, it's so annoying.

sunflowered that swelling doesn't sound nice, I hope you get to see someone soon. Fx it's nothing serious but worth getting checked out.

I'm also struggling with sleeping. No amount of pillows is stopping me from rolling onto my back then I wake up thinking I'm a bad mum! Completely ridiculous I know but try telling me that when half asleep. Also having the really vivid nightmares again - last night's one featured us announcing the birth and name to my parents on the phone and my mum went off on a crazy angry rant about our choice of name being ridiculous. The name in the dream is actually #3 on our shortlist so now I'm thinking to scrap it alltogether!

Having had only a few hrs broken sleep I'm starting my penultimate working week from home. Undecided whether to bother doing the 90min drive to the office later in the morning (as I said I would) as I have no meetings, no work to do that can't be done from home, and must go in Tues and Weds so thinking why tire myself out before the week's begun for little benefit? The roads sound horrific after all the bad weather plus it's the big back to school/work day so traffic is going to be a nightmare.

champagne I had an ok/borderline ok BMI at booking in (29) but have put on just over 15kg (33lbs) since then. Combined with my GD I am destined for labour ward. On my hospital's website it says you can use the birthing centre if you:

Are between 37-40wks when you go into labour
Are fit and healthy
Have no complications (e.g. heart problems, diabetes, high bp, low iron levels, history of blood clots)
Have a BMI

I'm 37+5 and midwife hasn't asked about birth plan yet. I've handwritten a short note which I've clipped in on the relevant page just giving bullet points of last birth, explaining that I very fearful and expressing the preference for a water birth if I'm coping and the fact I really do want an epidural this time if I'm not coping. Then just said I want to breastfeed ASAP after birth so pls deliver into my tummy and apart from that anything goes

First day of mat leave for me too but as it follows 2 weeks off it feels a bit anti-climactic

Ooo sun hope everything's ok!
Another one here that had a sleepless night. Don't think there will be much chance of a nap today either.

Got midwife today to recheck bloods for iron levels again. Should hear back tomoro if they've risen enough to avoid iron infusion:)

Also been meaning to ask, for all that have had whooping cough vaccine, has anyone still been left with a reaction? Will be 6/7 weeks today (can't remember which) since Iv had it and it is still periodically flaring up:/

I'm now exhausted. I know it'll be worse when baby is here but at least the baby will be here! I'm feeling very woeful. I wouldn't mind if the sleep before I woke up was good quality but it isn't!

Just waiting for MIL to come around, and then I'll go for a walk into town. The weather is grim but after all day on the sofa yesterday I feel the need for fresh air.

Hope you get checked soon sunflowered sounds unpleasant to have got all of that so quickly.

How do you know if you need antibiotics for group b strep? I've got another rotten cold and was wondering if it could be tonsillitis, which is strep, right?

champs your LO sounds like mine - it feels like she is doing a dance on the mattress when I'm in certain positions. I tend to sleep mainly on left with a pillow between knees and leaning slightly back onto another pillow to take a bit of weight off my hips.

Hope you stayed at home jazz

sunflowered that does sound a bit scary, hope you get seen quickly and all is okay.

artistic my WC vaccine only hurt for a day or so, to have it still flaring up now is a bit unusual I think! Maybe one to mention to MW next time you see her?

Thoroughly miserable day here so I am planning to stay in bed as much as possible and work on dissertation. I fell back asleep between 8-9.30 after breakfast and it was blissful!

Hope you're ok, Sunflowered.

Apparently last night was the night for sleeping badly! Another one here. My thing is when I lie down I feel all this pressure in my head/neck/chest and it feels like... something bad is going to happen, then I think I shouldn't let myself sleep feeling like that and I prop myself up with pillows which is super uncomfortable because our bed is hard. Seems to be happening most nights at the moment.

So, fairly tired and grumpy here and in need of hot chocolate. I have my monthly osteopath appt in town today so I will get one then!

Meanwhile, did anyone see that report that TB is making an alarming resurgence in London now? Joy!
I am also cross with any restaurants that put those little bowls of salt on the tables that you have to stick your fingers into during norovirus season. Very irresponsible.

I have midwife today marzi so will mention it then. I saw another midwife a few weeks ago and mentioned it to her but she didn't really seem to know what to do about it and just wrote it in my notes but didn't actualy advise anything:/

Hope you get seen quickly sun and all is ok.

I am so tired. Had a pretty standard night i.e. wake ups at 12, 2.30 and 5 but i can already feel my eyelids getting heavy now. I've got DD by myself today....feel like she's being a bit short changed as i can't move about very much and i'm being a boring mummy. We're on our second watch of 'Room on the Broom' already. Hopefully she'll have a really big nap soon so i can get some sleeeeeeep.

Am seeing the midwife this afternoon so hopefully she'll be able to confirm it's just general preggo roughness my fat legs rather than anything bp related. Though after making the appt the swelling has gone down a lot so now I'm worried my bp will be high because I'll be worried about looking like there was never anything wrong...

There must have been something in the air last night - did anyone sleep well?!

Interesting to hear about different takes on birth plans. I'd been told they don't often get read/taken seriously if you put a lot of detail into them but nct lady said to ignore that. Mine's pretty much 'get healthy baby out safely, pref in birth pool with minimal intervention and minimal damage if possible'... Think dh will be adding to it after nct yesterday though (he will not be cutting the cord and might pass out if he has to get near to the action... wimp)

Sorry haven't posted in a very long time but always read.

Seems like last few weeks are resulting in lack of sleep for lots of us boo!

Sun flowered best to get checked out and don't worry about swelling starting to go down that's what mw are there for don't feel like a fraud it's a worrying time. Hope it all turns out well.

Sorry for my silly first timer questions- I really am clueless but as getting closer suddenly having lots of wobbly feelings about actually having to look after a real life baby! Silly things have been going through my head like where do I change baby nappy when in hospital? What do I do with the dirty nappies? Do you live in pj's whilst at hospital or actually make yourself look presentable? How do I actually fit everything into a small suitcase when my list for hospital bag seems to keep getting longer? How much help is on hand after giving birth regarding nappies and bf seeing as have no experience of either?

Sorry for long post but after being very calm all through pregnancy, at 36 weeks tomorrow reality is starting to dawn on me, not helped by family thinking baby will be early. On a positive note- it's officially my first day of maternity yay!

I think I'll need to prepare several birth plans, in case of induction / spontaneous labour / c-section.... But I'm not going to put pressure on myself if I do decide I want an epidural, or something doesn't happen according to plan. Interestingly my MW at my last appt seemed a little piqued I had organised a doula, and asked me why I'd done it - I explained that all the reviews I'd read of the labour ward mentioned not having enough MWs for comfort, and we'd decided to supplement our comfort care (not medical care, just so we had an experienced person with us to help us out) with someone who would be with us for the whole thing. Then she said that as I had GD, there ought to be a nurse with me the whole time anyway, which if induced seems unlikely.... I hope the other MWs don't take exception to our doula being there - I know she's worked on this ward before, so am hoping she's got a good reputation.

I'm with everyone else on the no sleep front - last night was particularly bad. I get the same as you julietee where I get pressure in head/chest if I lie in the same place too long. That coupled with hip pain means I'm constantly waking up needing to change position. Have tried sleeping on folded up duvet, pillows between legs and in various configurations, but nothing helps much! Had lots of jobs to do around the house today but instead I'm moping on sofa feeling sorry for myself .
Pram was supposed to be delivered today too but had a message to say it's been 'delayed in transit' so won't be today after all...
And I have to go to nct by myself tonight as DH can't get out of sodding work. Booooo!

Sorry for the self-indulgent post. I will eat and that will make it all better!

Just when I thought we'd sorted DMs visiting for the birth (lives 4 hours away) she tells me she wants to check in to the nearest travel lodge the day before my due date! Erm, what if I go overdue?! I asked her if she would stay there for two weeks, she seems to think I'm going to give birth exactly on time.

Managed to talk her back into the original plan - coming down straight after the birth and staying for two days. She seems to think she wants to be close by when I'm in labour, but honestly I don't know what she thinks she's going to be able to do.

Just one more thing for me to stress about.

Glad your swelling has gone down sun

Feeling completely clueless about the hospital side of things, how long do they usually keep u in for if you have a straight forward birth?

Gnitting I have a doula too, I also hope they don't get arsey about it. Don't see why they should as in reality it takes pressure off staff midwives! (At least for the non medical bits) Organsing her is one of the decisions I feel properly good about, so I will not be frowned at by grumpy midwives for it.
Midwife told me at 32 week appt that we will be discussing birthplan at 36 week appt. I already know my answers to the list of questions in the notes.

Sunflowered Really hope it's just random preg swelling, but definitely best to get it checked out. Pre-e is scary!

:( not good news, waiting on a call from the hospital to go up for iron infusion. Boo. On the plus side apparently it makes you feel better instantly which would be lovely! Eating my lunch then going to have a large helping of chocolate to boost my mood:)

Aww, sorry to hear that Artistic. At least you'll feel less drained after the infusion, but that must be gutting to be barred from the unit for this(if indeed this means you are).

Thanks julietee:) yeah definately not allowed to the unit for the time being anyway, they will retest my bloods 2 weeks after the infusion to see if they've leveled atall which may change things atall.

I know this is probably no help as different bodies do different things, but I've been eating mince 2 x per week and had good readings at my last blood test.

Sorry to hear so many of you are feeling rough. I'm sleeping badly too - no amount of squashy lovely support cushions are helping. I also get the chest pains if I lie in one position for too long - never had these in previous pregnancies! Artistic hope the iron infusion goes well and leaves you feeling better. Apparently my iron levels are really good, but I have no idea why

Caved and bought a cute little cardigan for baby along with my grocery shopping today - oops! Supposed to be frantically saving this month as we overspent quite a bit in December. Lots of beans on toast to eat over the next month! I've been mainlining breakfast cereal for some reason - just had my 3rd bowl today! Not doing well at eating sensibly generally though

Oh artisticme it's a shame your iron levels haven't gone up enough, but hopefully the drip will have an immediate impact