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 would pay good money this week not to be sleeping flat on my back!! After months of training myself to sleep on my left side it now all feels completely wrong, but sideways is too sore with my stitches

(I'd also pay good money for the temperature control in my brand new hospital to make it less like a furnace at night please)

Yay MissKat! Way to go!

We're back from NCT class. It was actually more decent than expected, though the room was by no means comfortable! I was the only one to bring a cushion - ah well :)
Lots of writing down thoughts exercises in groups - didn't really learn anything, but I guess it was more of an introduction.
Though I can't believe I was the only one in the group who knew about oxytocin being released in labour!

Oh dear sun how long do you have to stay there for?

Julietee Glad the class was better than expected :) That sounds odd, that nobody else knew about the oxytocin! Good on you though!

Just wondering, have your bumps grown loads in the last 8-6 weeks of pregnancy, or does it not change too much? I really don't want it to go much bigger, hehehe... wishful thinking or?

Congrats to misskat! Can't wait to see photos/hear all the details.

The appointment for my second growth scan has come through and it's an hour and a half before the diabetic clinic/I see my consultant so hopefully I should get everything sorted out on wednesday.

I am huge...my bump (already big) has exploded since christmas but i was the same last time...think it's just how i carry.

I'm 38+4 now and no twinges at all...unless they suggest earlier induction/elcs i think i'm going right over again. Eeek.

littleen my bump that was small is no longer small at 37 weeks. It is all baby though! I can tell what are shoulders, bum etc. It's growing quite quickly.

Off to London today, staying over with a friend's tonight. No sign of imminent labour (other than upset tummy) so hopefully I'll get back before having the baby

sunflowered overheated hospitals are grim, you'll be home with baby before you know it. I hope you get lots of new baby cuddles this morning.

Sunflowered - you might already have done this but ask about having a portable fan. When I had dd I was sweltering in the ward through my first night as was near to a radiator there and it was only in the morning that I noticed the woman opposite had asked for a fan!

Hope all's good with you and baby. X

julietee I thought of you today when I finally picked up a small pack of newborn nappies (pampers size 1 are £3 in morrisons right now).

I am picking up the car seat at lunch time so think I am officially ready to go if needs be, just need baby to cook for a few more weeks as I am only 34+4 today.

Littleen my bump hasn't grown much at all in last 6-8 weeks but I've been huge since about 24 weeks! It has got smaller since she dropped.

Ohh bum, I think I'm getting a cold. Sore throat last night that remains thismorning. Daaaaamnit. And I just managed to get a decent night's sleep!

Petty Haha, good deal! I don't think I have a Morrisons near me.
I have car seat and will hopefully order buggy this week or next. All these early-ish babies are making me think I should move up the delivery of my NCT bednest!

Littleen Mine has grown quite a bit in the last week or so.

Though from last night's class it seems bump size is incredibly individual. I'm only a bit bigger than a lady who's a month behind me. And about the same as a couple who're just a few days ahead. Sadly, I was not the most gestated in the class! Boo.

julietee I think you can bring forward delivery of the bednest with 24 hours notice. If baby comes early I was planning to do this and use the carrycot from the pram in the short term.

I've no clue what size nappies I'll need at birth. I've got size 1 packed, so I'm wondering if I should also pack some size 2.

Getting lots of funny tummy pain this morning. Can't work out if it's because I've got an upset tummy, baby is kicking my bruised insides hard, or something more exciting! The pain literally comes then goes, nothing substantial.

We're going to get blase about labours if we keep going at this rate, Eeyore :D

My bump hasn't grown Littleen so much so that I'm now measuring 5 weeks behind and am booked in for a scan tomorrow to check all is ok.

I'm convinced it's a case of me being measured by a different person each time, rather than a problem with the baby. I don't see how DH (6ft5) and myself (6ft2) could produce a small baby!

My bump has grown quite a bit since 32 weeks. Unfortunately the last month or two are the most likely to see stretch marks appearing.
Everyone will grow differently though. I constantly get remarks from tall women about how huge my bump is in comparison to their pregnancies but they don't realise that as I'm 5'2 with a short torso I will carry differently to them. One woman loved saying how huge I was but I think she might have had insecurities about her frame and height so I let it go... whilst gritting my teeth.
Everyone seems to be on labour watch now. I've managed to question every niggle and twinge since yesterday despite feeling that I will go over my EDD. I realised yesterday that I've been adding an extra day on to my EDD for months. For some reason that one less day of pregnancy seems vitally important at this stage.

harlem sometimes if you have a long torso, especially with you being tall, the baby has a lot more places to hide so may just be that. And on the plus side, you get to see baby again:)

Can't wait to see a pic of misskats baby! So exciting. Can't believe it all happened so quick!! I wonder if there will be any more babies this week:)

I should find out today if I need to go up for another drip at the hospital. Keeping everything crossed that I don't as that will officially mean I can choose the mlu to deliver! :) here's hoping.

Eek exciting to have another thread baby, congrats missk!

I have a quick question- 2nights ago in bed I suddenly got these quite painful cramps over the whole of my bump and pressure below. This pain came and went in waves for some time before stopping completely and every time I tried moving into a new position it got worse and was really quite painful. Felt baby moving during this and felt him lots over last few days and haven't had this pain since. Is this just normal now getting closer to the end as in preparing us for labour or should I be worried if it happens again?

37weeks today!

Tinkerbelle - sounds like intense Braxton hicks.

Harlem I hope you're not worrying about the scan - I've spoken to two women in the past week (one at yoga, one from NCT group) who were sent for measuring behind and both were absolutely fine. I was totally convinced that I was measuring behind because my bump looks so much smaller than most of those on the FB page but as julietee says the reality is that it's incredibly individual.

Actually at my 36 week appointment the student midwife was measuring me, and she measured about four times before 'getting' 35cm.

Thingy I feel totally convinced I'm going to go late as well. I don't feel anything - BH, pushing against cervix, etc - which makes me think this baby has any intention of exiting in the near future. All that said I must pick up some of those incontinence bed sheets today...

Thanks sassy I did wonder about BH but thought they weren't supposed to be painful. Have to admit the pain did scare me about how I will actually cope during labour. Last mw appointment baby wasn't engaged at all so found it strange to have that much pain but have had nothing since.

Congrats to missk! Very exciting, we're on our way ladies!

Had a stressful midwives appointment today, they couldn't find the heartbeat for ages, and when they finally did, said it was a bit low and irregular. So sent me and DD off 'upstairs' for monitoring. Was hooked up to fancy machine that monitored the baby's heart rate and movements for an hour, meanwhile DD having a meltdown in pram beside me. The midwife there was lovely though, and took her off for walks and found her toys to play with.

Was given the all clear after two hours, had an ultrasound already organised for the afternoon so they were happy to wait on that. Took DD home, put her to bed and then my friend came to watch her while I went back for the scan. And it was all fine. The sonographer said, "you have a perfectly average baby". Thank God! Measuring perfectly for dates as well, which is another thing I was worried about, with the GD.

So all in all, a stressful day. I'm sitting here now with ice pack on my feet to try and reduce swelling, having a cup of tea and watching the tennis. (Evening here in Australia)

Hope everyone else has a much less stressful day!

Glad all was ok in the end Kalevala.

I have an additional scan appointment tomorrow - don't even know what for - just had a phone call yesterday saying I needed to come in for an extra scan this week; in my confusion, I forgot to ask why!

Then on Monday next week I have the consultant, and on Thursday next week the MW - Lots of appointments in a short space of time! Having been at the hospital on Saturday night, I will be sick of the sight of the place before I even go in to have my baby!

Pelvic pain not so bad today, but that's probably because I spent most of yesterday lying down - only really got up to do school run, eat meals etc. DH took the boys to their swimming lesson and did the cooking etc, bless him!

What I find most strange is that I'm desperate for the next 5 weeks (til likely section date) to go by, but not excited like I should be and am a little bit in denial. That may be the AND talking.

I'm carrying very differently this time round - weirdly I'm a lot smaller than I was at this stage in my pregnancies with DS1 & 2, yet in much more discomfort. Feel like I swallowed a space hopper full of rocks! It may just be the fact that I'm 6 years older than I was when I had DS2, but my body isn't coping well... I'm starting to reconsider the consultant's offer of sterilisation at the same time they perform my ELCS! Especially as the MW on duty at the hospital who looked after me on Saturday night suggested that either DH or I should look at permanent sterilisation as going for CS #4 would be unwise. Will speak to consultant and my own MW over the next week or so to garner more opinions. I know plenty of people who have had 4 or more CS though, so it's not generally contraindicated. Probably far too hormonal to be making decisions about permanent contraceptive methods at this stage though!

No Champs I know exactly what you mean. Having been desperate to reach the end of the pregnancy the whole way through, now that I'm technically at term I am quite happy for her to stay inside for a bit longer (despite being very, very, very excited to meet her). And she's still doing her crazy shifting into transverse position which is a dangerous way to be if my waters break, so basically please no waters breaking/labour beginning until she has decided once and for all to stay HEAD IN MY PELVIS!