July 2014 - Thread 5: Blooming!

[lemonpoppyseed]

Thread 5 already! Sorry about the un-witty title. Am awake because baby is having a party in my belly...

Woke up this morning with ms back and a killer headache! Whhhhy???

So so sorry for those feeling ill and in pain-not fun! Though at least the countdowns can commence :) I remember that excited (and scary) feeling about stopping work before DS- don't have it this time alas as am self employed and need to fit as much work as possible into these remaining weeks!

Think I ordered the last bits we need to buy yesterday (apart from new cotbed mattress which Mum has offered to get) ordered stuff from Kiddicare at 7pm last night and it's due for delivery today how efficient is that!! V impressed!

I second the Nigella and Humingbird cakes idea though I ate far too much cake in my third trimester last time (and DS only 6lb9oz so it all stuck to me!) so will try and be good this time ;)

Hope everyone has a good day

Sorry ipsum good luck today

ismarah Yes good advice about freezing meals except I can't stomach anything that can be batch cooked and frozen though a girl in work said pizza is ideal cos you can eat it with one hand

ickle that is a very cute pic... i got excited when I went down to double figures at the weekend on day 95 today!

ickle I love my hummingbird bakery book although i would recommend halving the amount of icing it suggests for its cupcakes.

blue I can't believe you've ordered the last bits you need! I have yet to buy pretty much anything and am starting to panic DH insists that 3 months is still plenty of time, so hopefully baby won't come too early!

Well bp was high the first THREE times she checked it - the fourth go after a lie down was 135/75 so I was allowed to come home (phew!). She did ask me if I am someone that is able to relax easily - apparently not when I'm at the doctors! Back in 2 weeks for another check and they may refer me to hospital if its still up a bit then for a 'more thorough examination' but hopefully I'll be able to keep my bad nerves in check!

I've a few cakes to whip up this weekend for a charity bake sale and a birthday - thinking victoria sponge, orange and lemon sponge and a chocolate orange sponge for bake sale and a rich gooey choc cake for the birthday

jbiscuits I have bought my pram and some clothes/nappies so far and was given a moses basket, bath, monitor and a few other bits and pieces by friends but up until the end of last month had literally got one little outfit so still loads of time!

biscuits this is DC2 for us so we didn't have a lot to get and are rather short of cash so I can't go on the shopping spree I'd like to I have literally bought new first outfit and a few girly bits in the sale just in case we have a girl second hand toddler bed for DS, buggy board for DS, car seat liner to go under DC2 car seat, stash of newborn nappies, cotton wool, creams etc, breast pads, maternity pads and think that's about it-nothing like the huge list I had before DS born! I used my Advantage points in Boots to get all the toiletry items which saved some cash too :)

Ipsum perhaps you have "white coat hypertension" (it's a real thing!) - but v glad you were allowed home! You can buy BP monitors for home use for not v much money (DH suffers from slightly high BP so has one so he can obsess about it keep an eye on it).

What is this weird tight and uncomfortable feeling across the bump? I feel like all pants and trousers, no matter how big or what cut need to be held off at a distance - and then the next day it's all fine. I'm so uncomfortable I didn't sleep much and I can't tell if the ache in my lower back is linked to this or not. I'm moaning and groaning without intending to and bean is kicking downwards, ever downwards.

Ipsum it also matters which of the two numbers is high. I never remember diastole vs systole and which is which but if the first number is high that's more subject to daily fluctuation and does not necessarily indicate a problem. If the second number is high (above 90 is high, above 100 is cause for concern) that is more likely to indicate an underlying problem. It does not indicate which came first though - the high BP can just as easily be a symptom or a cause. If both numbers are raised, consistently, that also indicates a problem. The only way to test BP properly is to attach a 24hr ambulatory kit and test it repeatedly as you go about your day. It's a pain in the arse but it does tell whether or not you have white coat syndrome, stress, diet related increases or just plain ol' high BP. BP can also be tested sitting, standing and lying down, after rest and after activity to clear things up further. If your midwife isn't sure what's going on, you could ask for the 24hr thing. Keeping your own numbers would also be helpful provided you have a proper arm cuff and not a wrist cuff. Check it twice a day for a couple of weeks, which should allow you to see if there's a trend or if the high BP measures are blips.

In more positive news, my new jeans are spiffing. And everytime my BP is checked and comes back in the text book normal range, I do a little dance. 216/165 will do that to you.

Just so tired and getting fed up trying to juggle freelance work and looking after v energetic DS as I have no childcare this month as childminder on adoption leave. Working during afternoon nap times and evenings is proving a nightmare as I'm just exhausted and have no idea how I'm going to get this bit of work finished yet we desperately need the money so I have to make it work somehow

ismarah you had a 216/165 BP?!? .

Yeah, that one was fun. I'd had an average of 150/100 over a few months / years, even in betablockers at the end. Then felt very odd one night and NHS Direct told me to go to hospital. 216/165 upon arrival and everyone was wondering how I'd not had a heart attack or stroked out. Took about 4-5 hrs to stabilise me. A few days later I had a proper diagnosis that did not involve the words 'overweight' and 'we don't know why' and six months later I had surgery to cure it. Fun timez.

That was just after I'd had a conversation with my mum about how my BP probably meant we c/wouldn't have kids...

Sorry to monopolise the thread!

Dr google suggests that the discomfort I'm feeling is probably Braxton Hicks, which is fine. However, they've been going on and off for about 24hrs straight (kept me up) and I have a lower back pain to go with it. The sensation hasn't changed in intensity or frequence and it's mostly just uncomfortable. I also don't see constant contractions - the ones that roll across the abdomen - but I have seen some.

As I'm in the US still, I can't call my midwife. I'd also prefer not to go to a walk-in clinic or an ER if it's not needed. The information I can find on BH suggests they're nothing to worry about unless there's back pain or more of them than a few per hour or if they persist despite changes in position / activity. All of which applies to me.

But as it's my first pregnancy, I don't know what to trust...I have no experience. Anyone else can tell me what to do?

ismarah have also been getting the tightening pains across the tummy (belly button area). Have no idea what they are, I just assumed bump was growing .

Right. Spoke to the triage midwife in the UK (gotta love Skype!) as I just wanted an impartial sanity check. She said it was textbook Braxton Hicks and although usually they stop with time or when you change activity / position I was just lucky that way. If I'd been in th UK she'd have invited me to come in for a bit of reassurance but as it is she suggested I have a bath, enjoy the rest of my holiday and stay off Google.

She was helpful, listened, took her time and it was a great help. Even if I was 90% sure myself that it was just BH, there was that 10% of dunno going on.

So I'm going to go have a dip in the pool and watch the sunset. And stay off mumsnet for at least a day 10 minutes.

ismarah well done for skyping-great idea! And glad MW helpful and reassuring too! Enjoy the pool and sunset :)

1.30am here and wide awake despite being exhausted all day so frustrating! Just had bowl of Coco pops and gonna try sleeping again

Hi blue hope your fast asleep by now. I knew something was up when dh asked if I'd had braxton hicks yet.. he got a pregnancy for men book leant from a friend!

ismarah scary bp level glad all sorted now though. Mine is always high first time so used to it I always tell gp/mw and often they distract me whilst its happening so its normal or the 2nd time round it is anyway!

Well my plan to work from home failed as someone called in sick :-( was in so much pain all day and no chance of a rest next 2 days. I did however bake hummingbird lemon cupcakes for work tomorrow. Was a silly idea. I was icing at 9.30 when should have been resting. But I just wanted to do something nice not sit watching masterchef feeling sorry for myself!!!

For those struggling to sleep: I've been (trying to) listen to the Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy CDs. Now I've no idea whether the hypnotherapy aspect is doing anything for me at all, but if I'm in the least bit snoozy (ie pretty much all the time) it knocks me out in about 5 minutes. If I wake up in the middle of the night now I just pop my earphones in and within a few minutes I'm back in the land of nod.

I have decided I sleep better in a different bed to DH. I knew this would happen! I need to be able to roll over rather than bump myself over in one location which is bloody painful - I hate SPD . Thank god I persuade DH to buy a new bed for us and put our 2 year old bed in the spare room. Now I just need to clear the spare room of building clutter...

On a good note I have found a matching nursery set for the Skip Hop Tree Top bits I have bought. Its the Dunelm Mills Sleepy Owl range. Colours are a great match and even has owls on it! I dont want everything from the range but needed curtains so this is a blessing .

Am knackered from no sleep and have to go to town later on a clothes hunt as we are on holiday next week and I have few clothes that fit.

plate I have a few Andrew Johnson hypnotherapy things on my phone which I bought for about a quid each - one is weight loss and the other deep sleep - and they both knock me out!

liquid it took a few weeks but now I'm used to my pregnancy pillow is a life saver! Back pain now nearly all gone in morning's...until I get up! Good news on the matching nursery clothing though :-)

Dh has banned me from the spare room as he finishes painting and thinks I will dislike the colour. I am very fussy at the best of times so he may have a point. I'm sat relaxing on the sofa so shouldn't complain!

Lemon cakes went down very well at lunch today so thanks for advice :-)

Looking forward to the weekend so much!!!

Argh! My working at home with DS around failed miserably today-i even built him a boat from the big Kiddicare delivery box and let him watch extra Postman Pat but he just wanted to be with me! Which is lovely but makes work impossible-so now I need to work this evening!

liquid hope your clothes hunt went well.

We've just received another wedding invite-so that's one 4 weeks before EDD and one 4 weeks after EDD!

Off to belgium in the morning... should I take my maternity notes?

auntie yes it's worth taking them with you. Everything will probably be fine but worth having them just in case.

Really must do my work and stop surfing on the internet and MN

Quite glad I'm not going to Belgium with DH - weekend to myself seems rather appealing! Wondering what nice things to get up to? Have a party on Saturday night but rest of weekend left to my own devices.

auntiemaggie - have been talking to someone tonight who knows the Belgium ride and its cobbles - he said it's just as we'll I'm already pregnant