February 2014 - babies flying out all over the joint!

[marzipanned]

We've now welcomed mini sun, dawn, kat, zazou and selfies (please tell me I haven't missed anyone...)....who will be next?!

Those of us waiting impatiently will be showing down on dates, pineapple, RLT and curry while having awkward whale sex.

I always seem to fall horribly behind when a new thread gets started! Congrats to ch on the safe arrival of Louis, hope you're getting plenty of rest now and enjoying the cuddles.

Petty and LittlePanda, my DS is also doing 2 days a week in nursery (reduced from the 4 days he was doing while I was working full time) and I'm pleased to have that structure in place for us both. It means two days where I know he is socialising with other children, being stimulated, doing arts & crafts etc not to mention I don't have to think about his lunch or tea on those days. Plus I'm looking forward to 2 days a week of just me and the little one so I can catch up on sleep when the baby sleeps if required or potter out for some quiet coffees with friends while the baby sleeps in her pram - something that would be impossible on days when I have DS in tow too. The only thing that has changed is that he has started being quite clingy to me when I drop him off in the morning now which is a shame - they say he's happy as anything as soon as I've gone, but I guess it's because his 'norm' is now spending time with me, whereas before his 'norm' was being at nursery more days than not.

Shrops, another one envious of your energy! I think I was like that with my last pregnancy as I know I worked right up to 37 weeks and then had a busy day in town even on the day that DS ended up being born! This time I am another one who needs a sit down simply after climbing our flight of stairs (especially if carrying super-chunk DS at the time) and am marvelling at how my world has shrunk and trips I would have previously done on foot are now turning into car trips!

I have the home birth midwife coming over shortly for my 36 week appointment (35+5 today) and it feels significant as with DS this was the last midwife appointment I had before he arrived.

Marzi - impressed you're managing to DTD (even if it is whale sex) - that is the last thing on my mind these days, I seriously doubt it will happen in this house until some months after the new arrival. Luckily DH isn't the type to concern himself with such periods of abstinence - I think he just channels that energy into all of the triathlon training he does!

OOh loves2 I have the hb team mw coming to my house tomorrow for 36w check and signing of disclaimers. I will be 35+5 tomorrow.

winter - what pushchair have you got? I have stripped and washed all the fabrics on my bugaboo bee, maxi cosi car seat, britax carry cot. I have previously stripped and washed maclarens, quinny buzz, mamas and papas strollers - whole seat units bunged in the machine . The britax b-mobile was the only one I had to wash in the bath. GRR.

Petty - spoke too soon. Just had a text from the home birth midwife saying she can't make it as she's at a birth. Fair excuse I appreciate but I'm disappointed as was looking forward to the check up to be honest and signing all the paperwork etc. She's going to call later to rearrange so I guess the only positive is that the new date will be that little bit closer to the finish line!

Amazingly, today I have a bit more energy than I've had the last few weeks. Not loads, but enough to contemplate doing stuff, so have taken covers etc off car seat/ travel system, and washed them. They are now drying and just put on a machine full of baby bedding. Have also cleared the freezer out - shocking amount of out of date food and stuff that would have been great but has suffered from freezer burn! Hate wasting so much. But there are now two whole empty drawers in the freezer ready for the stuff I am going to batch cook tomorrow, after my big online grocery shop has arrived tonight. My hands have just thawed out enough to type but still feel a little tingly from handling so much frozen food and wiping out the inside of the freezer. I also have several tupperware boxes of unidentified frozen fruit defrosting on the worktop, which we obviously picked from our garden/ the field behind us over a year ago - if it seems in edible condition I shall be making lots of crumbles. I suspect apples and plums but some of the reddish ones could be cooked blackberries...

Need to get out and buy some big plastic crates in order to tidily store the boys' old clothes away from the reach of the mice in the loft. (Learned my lesson from having to do 20 machine loads of baby clothes which had been stored in plastic bags!) I may be setting myself up for lots of aches and pains tonight and tomorrow, but feel like I have to do stuff whilst this energy burst lasts, and whilst the SPD isn't bothering me so much! Maybe baby has moved her head off my pelvis, hence the reduction in pain/ discomfort...

So long as she comes before next week so you can cross all the t's and dot all the i's etc..... When I had ds, the last hb before me was 2 weeks before hand so I don't think our hb team are particularly busy!

Good afternoon all!

Litleen - so much for you to cope with at the moment, hope you're getting support from DH xx

Welcome Bella

I went to John Lewis today - was meant to meet a friend but she couldn't make it so I went anyway. Wasn't really going to buy anything, just wanted to look out for any baby bargains but only the dregs of the clothes sale left and I can't bring myself to buy things in sizes bigger than 6 months as I'll just have to store it! I did find a baby sleeping bag for £11 and some 'special price' pram sheets, which I didn't particularly need but you can never have too many.
I also thought I'd have a look at nursing bras to see if there was anything in my size reduced. There wasn't, but an assistant saw me browsing, insisted I get measured, and I came out with a full priced pack of 2 bras in the size I knew I was anyway and bought them. I've been wearing lots of nursing bras from 3 years ago so it's nice to have some new ones even if I didn't strictly need them! Then instead of going home for lunch, I smelt the food in the cafe and had lunch there. So I've spent too much money today - I should know by now that I can't just browse in John Lewis!
I still have a couple of hours before I get DD from the childminder so will try to sort out my hospital bag finally and eat chocolate biscuits.

I'm sure my MW is having me on. Apparently baby has lowered significantly (explains why I can breathe now) but hasn't engaged. Where has he lowered to then? I'm only 5'2. And he has his hand up by his face apparently. I can't even feel a head when I try, its just a flabby mass thanks, flapjack recipe and she can distinguish limbs and fingers. It's quite reassuring that they can tell so much just by a bit of prodding. They are amazing really. And that's all my antenatal appointments done until a home sweep at 41 weeks.
I completely agree that our activity and energy levels are all going to be very different. Now I can breathe properly I'm back to long walks and my usual OTT level of cleaning but just a few weeks ago I could barely move off the sofa and I don't even have the excuse of having young children to run around after. The lack of SPD this time has made the whole experience much easier too.

sugar you have inspired me to sort out my freezer - not an exciting job but it needs to be done.

Shropshire your energy amazes me. Go for it as long as your body tells you it's ok. I however, exhausted myself today after 1hr of hoovering the house (it did involve the stairs though in my defence)

pandabear enjoy the John Lewis experience whilst you can! I have deliberately stayed put at home this week so I can't drive into town and be tempted to buy things. Next week however, DM is visiting so will have to visit JL with her...

bella welcome!

Thanks for all your support on the DH pain relief stuff. I spoke to him on his lunch break today and it turns out we were both not listening properly to each other last night. He was trying to say that he thought I should go as long as I felt able to without anything other than G&A, before cracking out the injections and epidurals. For some reason he thought because I'd pretty much ticked all the various pain relief options on the birth plan that I was going to waltz in from the car park and ask to be hooked up to the drugs instantly! So it sounds like we are both on the same page really, but just miscommunicated last night. I am going to be open minded about it all, but if it hurts and the midwife says I can have something then I'll bloomin well have it!

jazz glad you and your DH are back on the same pain relief page.

Just back from the shops and I'm exhausted. I only popped out to get sugar for my marmalade (Thanks waitrose for messing up my order...), and I'm now a fat wheezy mess on the sofa. I've done hardly anything today, I've started the marmalade so I have to bloody finish. and I need to make a cake for the nct girls who are coming to mine tmw.

On the plus side, the curtains I finished yesterday are up, I just need to hem the others.

Sorry, I'm so whiny! I still feel better than I did in the first trimester, I just need to keep reminding myself of that!

slow down ladies, wait for meeeeeee. I got left behind around Christmas, and now I'm back!

Okay, still team yellow, and still got Michael jackson in my tum moonwalking across the stage. Looking forward to being a mum and to having my body back too.

Glad you and your DH talked it through jazz - ultimately it is of course your choice but he will be there advocating for you so good to be on the same page.

Have a silver cross pushchair. ..am assuming will be the same and fine to put all detachable bits thru the washing machine then if that is what you are doing/have done sugar and petty - thanks

With the energy and activity levels I guess everyone is just different. I definitely could not do what shrops is but do try somethinf active-y each day. Even if I do retire to bed/sofa afterwards

Good grief I've been so hungry today! I would like to stuff all the carbs/ protein in my gob asap, please.

Also managed to make whatever I pulled in my groin on yesterday's walk worse with today's walk, so rather miserable moving around and I feel so sorry for all of you with SPD (Which I very much hope this isn't going to turn out to be). I feel like a hobbly old lady now.

Are any of the second/third timers planning on joining an NCT list? Ie not actually doing the class again, but still partaking in the tea round people's houses part?

Hello Tea good to have you back. How long do you have left? I could check the stats thread but I'm too lazy!

I'm 36 weeks today, with 8 days left at work- the end is in sight! Yay.

Sorry so many of you are not sleeping/tired/fed up/all of the above! I'm also blooming exhausted all the time despite sleeping through the night. I tempted to be a lazy arse for the first few days of mat leave and not get out of bed!

Glitter I haven't heard of an alternative to doing the NCT classes where you get to do the social bit without the learning. Around here, you tend to do the classes/meeting people with baby #1 and then I know a few second time Mums (mostly those new to the area so looking for mum friends) who have done the refresher course. Do you have another option? I'm lucky as several of my original NCT group are popping out second babies around a similar time so what with them and other local mum friends I met doing the baby group rounds with DS, I feel well set up with a local support network.

I found a local NCT Bumps and Babies group on FB and try seem to have regular meet-ups. There's one happening in a week or so at the town park ("Meet by the swings") so I may go along once baby arrives and see what it's like.
I'm also planning to make use of the SureStart stay and play groups locally as well and see how that goes. I found last time that I needed excuses to get out of the house!

I am sooo fed up of being pregnant now! 37 weeks today and it can't go fast enough. Fed of being huge and immobile, I'm desperate to get out for some proper walks. I'm also sick of being so tired all the time - if I had a newborn then there would be a decent reason, but to be awake most of the night with achey hips and chuffing heartburn is soul destroying. Is there ANYtHING I can do to make this baby come soon?!

Lovestobake well in my first NCT meet up group there was a lady assigned to the group who didn't do the actual course as it was her second baby, so I know you can do it round here. I just wondered if anyone had experience of this - as you'll be with a group of first time mums and also sometimes have another child in tow. Not that I have anything against first time mums of course - its just a different experience.

Thanks unplastered I'll check out my local NCT bumps to babes too. Its annoying since the new government, a lot of the sure start groups near me have shut down. It was lovely when I had my first, there was free baby yoga, baby music and movement etc etc - but its all gone now.
Plus if make you feel any better I am 35.3 and very sick of the pregnancy! Absolutely can't wait till I have my body back and can drink/eat what I want/ walk more than 10 metres

Try looking up your local NCT page on Facebook, I don't think you have to be a member or in a class to join. Mine is simply (hometown) NCT. All sorts of things get posted there including 'anyone fancy starting a coffee morning?' Which is met with replies such as 'we meet on a Tuesday in costa cone and join us' etc. also lots of local info shared like where's best for days out with baby etc.

Just back from my NCT bf class. In comparison to the free NHS one I went to before Christmas I found it less informative and more of a general chit chat to be honest. I didn't learn much new other than having to remember that all babies are different and they don't stick to the rule books!! On the plus side some of us mums are hoping to go for lunch on Thursday so that should be nice.

36wk mw appt tomorrow morning with the all important check for breech position. Wish me luck!

harlem well done you for working so long! I stopped at 36wks and so glad I did, don't know how you're still doing it!

Congrats ch!

Also remember the matalan cellular blankets in sale online for £1.50? Well they are in store, marked as £6 but at till going through as £1.50 for anyone who didn't get them online

jazzcat28 thanks for the great advice! Have seen a meet up next week I'll go to.

Can anyone recommend any good nursing bras that you can buy online that cover the gap between end of pregnancy and 2 weeks into the birth of baby? I just can not handle going into a department store at the moment to get measured. I guess a night time nursing bra that comes in S,M,L would be best - any good ones out there you'd recommend that have at least a bit of support?

Glitter, not sure about bras in S, M, L sizes but you'd get much more support from a proper sized one. I've read a lot of the bra threads on Style and Beauty in the past so could help you work out what sizes you could order online? You need to measure around under your bust in inches and that's your band size, then around fullest part of your bust and each extra inch on top of your band size is another cup size. Then prob go up at least another cup size to allow milk space!
I got some from John Lewis today which seem quite good for the money - 2 pack for £30.

Don't worry I'll def buy a proper one - I wouldn't really want to try andfit myself, the ladies in the store do a far better job. It's just really to tired me over- lots of night time nursing bras are more like crop tops. It also serves another purpose. I remember being drowned in breast milk from night time leakages last time, so also would like some night time bras to hold breast pads in place for the early days. Thanks fronts measuring advice pandabear I may well give it a go- prob best to do this than go without enough support for2 weeks!

Hi, can I join......again?!
I was around quite early on in the earlier threads, have been following slowly and now on mat leave may actually have a chance to keep up properly!
Seems I have the 4 o clock insomnia problem, in fact I don't actually think I have been to sleep tonight, what with a poorly DH in the night and what seems like a forever poorly DS - although has slept through so far, I wonder if I will ever sleep again and a new baby on the way as well!
Have antenatal appointment/group today, for my 36 week check, and final growth scan and consultant appointment tomorrow to discuss c-section or vbac.....yay!
Almost sure I will go c-section, after last time I think a little more control and idea of what's going on would be better.
Hope everyone has managed a bit more sleep tonight, I shall stop rambling and see if I can get 40 winks, although I hear my DS stirring, oh joy!