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!

I think that's what I'd do too misskat, definitely delayed clamping and then give the placenta a go on my own.

We're so far thru this thread already and I was sure we'd see a baby on here!

sunflowered I'm so glad you may be home tomorrow, it's always.more relaxing in your own place as well so that should help bp also.

Back from my mw appointment. I am measuring at 43 weeks i.e. about 5 and a half weeks ahead! Think baby has had a big growth spurt (and it was pretty big to start with). I've been referred for another growth scan....just waiting to hear when.

Not sure if this changes anything....will wait and see i guess. Oh, but baby is head down so at least that's something.

dawn that's quite some bump! I hope everything is ok with baby.

On a purely vain question, have other people's belly buttons popped out yet? Mine is still stretched thin and in, and doesn't seem to show any sign of popping out any time soon. I was sure it would have popped by this stage.

So - I've started drooling in my sleep Is this a new pg symptom?! I'm not sure it's use in baby growing?

So - I've started drooling in my sleep Is this a new pg symptom?! I'm not sure it's use in baby growing?

I'm falling behind on this thread as usual but notone I am exactly the same - when I'm in that almost-asleep state, I have to keep wiping my cheek to remove the river of drool. DH also says I have been snoring which I don't normally do (although am thick with cold at the moment). It's all pretty gorgeous isn't it.

eeyeore My bellybutton is slowly getting flat, but I cross my fingers it won't actually pop out, I have a total phobia of anyone or anything poking at my bellybutton, so having clothes rub on it would be a nightmare!

notone I have the same thing O.o started a few weeks ago! Very odd, but I have heard of many with the same issue.

sunflowered Sending lots of calming thoughts your way! Get someone to get you snacks to keep you going for the evening, it's far too early to have the last meal at 5.30!

loves I snore too, haha. We're such charming preggos ;D

MissKat and KungFu, but jealous that you've got your 36 week home birth visits - MissKat I'm intrigued as to what it is they brought you in the home birth kit? We also have a home birth team at the local hospital who I'm being seen by (only consists of two midwives at the moment, both are lovely and really chilled) although I have to source all of the kit myself from what I understand - inco pads, old towels, pool, cheap shower curtains to protect the house. Don't mind though, seems a small price to pay for all of the benefits of the home birth.

Last time I had the injection and my placenta came out easily and I don't recall any nasty side effects. But this time I definitely want to delay the cord clamping and will probably decide on the day about the third stage injection.

Notone Another one for the drooly crew. Wtf is that about? Don't remember it from last time at all.....

I've been drooling too I used to do it anyway I also woke myself up with a huge snore last night. lucky DH!

Another sleep drooler here and Eeyore my belly button has popped this time but didn't with dd as far as I remember. X

My belly button didn't pop last time and doesn't look like it will this time either. I have had drooling throughout pg I am amazed that DH still fancies me, combined with the snoring and inability to move around much

Anyone else who is due no2 starting to get the fear? Being at home with ds is driving me potty (esp as he's dropped his nap) and I am worried about being on ML with 2 of them!!! Ds will be 2.11 by the time dc2 arrives. I am desperately trying to get him in to our local welsh pre-school (applied 6 months ago!) and keeping him at the CM one day a week for both our sanity. He is not a stay at home boy!

No belly button poppage here, but plenty of drooling and snoring.

dawn hope your growth scan makes things a bit clearer - it sounds like there's some room for error with the tape measure but 6cm seems quite extreme!

Still in hospital and will be until at least Friday. Apparently it's not just the bp they're monitoring (but not clear what else they are). Don't mind being here as it's the best place in emergency, but would be good to know what exactly they're looking out for and how close I am to hitting those markers. But on the positive side, saw consultant today who explained for the first time that the normal course of action for p-e at 33 weeks is delivery in 48 hrs - want to keep this baby cooking a little longer if possible!!!!

Lol - glad i'm not the only drooler! I swear sometimes it's like there's a PILE of big thick drool next to my head. So gross!

I've just had a look in the box Lovesto and it's not very exciting - just lots of medical stuff. I can't really tell what some of it is (I know there's a placenta bucket in there!). I need to get the shower curtains, pads, towels etc myself. I think the box is just so they have the stuff they would have at the MLU already here (apart from the gas and air obvs). I was expecting something a bit more exciting to be honest. Getting it has made me actually realise I need to make sure the house is ready to have the baby in though. I think i might have to tell the carpet people to postpone if we can't get it fitted next week as at the moment I've been waiting for that to arrive before sorting things out and I need to shift everything from the dining room so I can get the birth pool up and have a nice environment for labour. If only babies had a more accurate "arrival" date hey. Must get some incontinence pads for the bed asap just incase! lol

Petty - my dd will be 2 yrs 10 months when baby arrives and I know what you mean about the thought of looking after two! She's going to preschool two days a week ( dropping from three days when mat leave starts) so I'm hoping that will help.

Sunflowered - it's annoying when they don't tell you what's going on and what they're looking for. I feel like I have to drag information out of them sometimes at my hospital appt!

misskat dh has just been complaining about not being able to plan around delivery dates! It's just occurred to him that he might need to drop everything and run when he gets the big phone call, and that he might not have fully handed over to his team when that happens...

Am very jealous of your homebirth boxes arriving - think I'd be tempted to test out the gas and air if it arrived at the same time as the box so probably wise that the midwives bring it with them...

I drool so much I now have to sleep with a towel on my pillow, otherwise I'm in danger of drowning! Delightful.

Lovestobake I haven't had a home birth kit, the midwives just bring everything on the day apparently. We had a load of furniture delivered today with a mountain of bubble wrap, so have saved it along with the cardboard to protect the floors! Will prob also get cheap shower curtains or similar to protect furniture.

Misskatamari, could you just reassure me that you're not my sister, please? Seriously, DSis is due just before me and your plans sound eerily like hers (and she was getting her kit delivered this week too).

sunflowered, sorry you've got to stay in longer...

Eyeoreish I agree, the health service here is excellent. I've lost count of how many scans I've had (I even turned a couple down as I thought baby might be getting a bit sick of being poked and peered at!) I think the only potential problem with seeing a gynae rather than a midwife is if you get a gynae like my first one, only interested in pregnancy as a medical 'problem' to be 'resolved' medically, which means that there's no attention paid to the mother's well-being for anything not strictly medical. But one of the beauties of the Belgian system is that you can see any doctor you choose, so it's easy to change if you're not happy.

My tummy button hasn't turned into an outie, and I don't know if it will now...but it's almost flat so it still might.

Reading this thread has made me realise that I need to get my skates on and sort out my hospital bag! I haven't got anything ready at all

Lol Morien, no sister here alas. Wow that must be so lovely both being due around the same time though!

My belly button is getting to outtie stage - it's the top bit that sticks out and it's soooo gross! It's not too bad when i'm sitting down but standing up - bleurgh!!!

Parents evening over and done with, one more day done at work! Head basically told me today that she expected mw to tell me to go on sick on Friday... Apparently she is really worried about me and is adamant I am going to go into labour in school! Truly hope not, given that initial plan is mat leave in 2 weeks 2 days and baby due 6 weeks 3 days...

My tummy button is flat after a meal and slightly in if I haven't eaten for a few hours!

Just had first pregnancy yoga after Christmas break..forgot how much I love going! The teacher (who is also a MW) recommended pelvic readjustment (?!) if still breech tomorrow. Baby is definitely still flipping between longitudinal and transverse though - I saw and felt it very clearly during yoga today. So not even sure how much value the scan tomorrow will be... Gah.

Can those of you closer to 37 weeks please reassure me that the time from here (33 weeks) is actually going to pass, rather than falling through some sort of temporal black hole?
I feel like it's yet another small eternity to drag through and that I'll never get there! So jealous of those of you further along, although I am aware that logically you must have done the time!

Bought first pack of nappies today. Slightly superstitious about it still, stupidly. I'm terrified something will go wrong and we won't end up with a baby. Can't be the only one, can I?

Also cross with my local NHS for not having a 34 week appointment at the time when pre-e is a real risk, and also for not having special support midwives I could have gone through for my anxiety disorder, having read about the seemingly excellent treatment other ladies have had for similar.

sunflowered sounds like you're pretty lucky then, being allowed to keep cooking for a bit longer! That's really good :)

Cubano sounds like people are concerned, though you still have a while left! Does it seem odd to you, or perhaps they just think you're about to pop any minute?

Julietee Could you get it sorted with special support midwives etc. now? I am having some sort of support, due to well, issues, but no idea what they really can do to help.

I'm just feeling really sad today, sort of assumed that my baby would get to meet his grandma, which was really important. Seems not, and all of a sudden I'll be going to hospital tomorrow to say 'goodbye' just incase I don't see my mum again before she passes. Everything seemed to progress slowly a month ago, then it just went tits up :(

Julietee I found the nappies the most terrifying thing to buy from a paranoia perspective. So no, you're not the only one! And yes, the time does pass. During the first two trimesters of this pregnancy the days felt like weeks, weeks like months. But now time seems to be zipping along. I didn't have a 34 week appointment either, only 32 weeks and 36 weeks. But pre-e has very distinct symptoms so, unless you start to experience them, I wouldn't worry about that side of things. The lack of anxiety support is distressing though - as always, NHS postcode lottery...

Sorry Littleen x-post. I'm so sorry to hear that your mum's health has gone downhill so suddenly. I know how it feels to lose your mum and having it happen so close to the baby's birth would be awful. I find it really tough whenever I think about how this baby won't have any GPs on my side. I hope you don't find tomorrow too horribly difficult and, more than that, that your Mum finds some strength/recovery somewhere that lets her meet her grandbaby.