October 2014 - thread 8 - more growing tums, shopping & pubic topiary

[Kirstipops]

Hi folks, new thread!

Ooh new thread-exciting!

Is anyone considering a home birth/had one previously? I'm thinking about it this time, but just bit sure how if cope with the mess & then bleeding & trying to get upstairs for a shower?!

Hello! Marking spot on thread. Currently sporting the beached whale look on holiday. Stopped raining and lovely sunshine for last few days. Last holiday before baby arrives so enjoying it!! (Apart from booze cravings every eve!)

Too scared tbh granny incase I get whisked off to hospital as need help.

Speaking of being huge. I'm actually finding that some of the maternity tops in my normal size 12 are actually starting to get tight. Not sure they will fit me towards end of pregnancy!

LouLou, I totally agree, to each their own! I should have added a Stokke would be totally impractical for anyone who uses buses regularly (has 2 parts so could not realistically collapse it when dealing with baby/toddler), or anyone who did not have a massive car boot..

Flip, we paid £400 for ours on ebay, but knew it would be used for at least 2 babies, and the resale price is also quite good. There were also a ton of extras included with the buggy including cosytoes, total set of extra covers, cupholder, etc.. Plus my in-laws told us they were giving us £400 to buy whatever buggy we wanted.. which obviously helped!

Granny, DS1 was born in a mid-wife led unit about 25 mins drive from the nearest hospital. It was quiet, homely and relaxing.. and we were the only ones in the ward for the 2-3 days I stayed in (there was one other new mum in a private room). The labour was 6 hours, so I was warned I may end up having no 2 at home as 2nd labours are generally expected to be quicker, but I love the idea of having a few days to bond with the new baby while recovering at the unit, with the help of the midwives.. before I go home and end up dealing with DS1 as well! Plus I couldn't be bothered dealing with any prep or clean up of birth pools, etc! I have read lots of positive home birth stories and experiences though, so think it's a great idea if thats your choice.

P.S. Glad I'm not the only one feeling huge. A work colleague commented the other day that the bump is very big for this point in the pregnancy, which I think someone else has commented makes you a bit concerned (totally illogically) that there might be something wrong!

granny all the people I know that have home birthed loved it. Some did inflatable tubs and others just laid out plastic covering on the living room floor!

Personally I would never choose to do I even after hearing their tales of joy...my sis home birthed her 4th and I arrived a few minutes after baby was born. Midwife also arrived after baby was born and was gone within 45 mins. I was left holding the baby whilst my sis had a bath and her hubby dealt with the other kids! It was just all too scary for me! I'd prefer to be in a hospital in case I need emergency care.

Clearly nothing on telly over new year! Haha

punky I'm more concerned with there being something HUGE rather than something wrong in there lol!

Mum2 don't scare me! I'm clinging to the fact that at scans the baby has so far been fairly close size-wise (give or take a few days) to my dates... DS was under 8lbs and born the day after his due date.. which was perfect.. so I'm hoping for something similar!

Another huge one here as well. I also had a clear GTT last week, but I did a random fasting reading yesterday as I've still got my monitor from last time, and it was a bit high, so I need to keep an eye on that as, other than my scan and Harmony (tomorrow!) I'm not seeing anyone until August now!

I remember nagging DH to get everything sorted with DD1 and he was all 'as long as we're ready by 36 weeks we'll be fine' - guess who arrived at 34 weeks! My 'hospital bag' ended up consisting of my glasses, my medication, my notes and a copy of David Copperfield for some unknown reason, so it can be done on the absolute minimum!

I've got lots of fluid. I did with ds so no surprise. Just praying that this baby isn't as big as he was.

I like the idea of a home birth but as my mum and sister both had to have emergency c-sections for I don't want to risk owt going wrong really incase it's genetic! Especially as the nearest hospital I'd be taken to isn't my first choice hospital! In an ideal world the natal hypnotherapy will help with contractions til reasonably far on so I won't be labouring too long at hosp, but won't count my chickens :)

I'm huuuuuuuuge too! I'm more concerned that it's a large volume of fluid than a big baby. Having too much fluid helps baby move into all sorts of stupid positions even during labour - so you can get more mispresentations like last minute breech and back to back. When my waters went last time they were spectacular! DH reckons I'm neater this time. I think he's learned to be polite about it!

I thought there must be some advantages of the Stokke to justify it being the price of a semi-decent car! I like my manouverable Nipper 360, sturdy for offroading, and easy to move with one hand (even laden down with shopping), so I can walk the dog and push the buggy at the same time and the long wheel base means its easy to get on a train. The Stokke's sheer size would make it a no no for me as I walk or use public transport everywhere. Sadly the Nipper double is too big to get on the train and bus hence we went for the Baby Jogger Select double. I hope to get back to my Nipper asap but that will mean encouraging J to walk and he's only started walking at 17 months so it'll be a while before he's walking everywhere with me (we do 5+ miles a day and all of the weeks shopping by buggy!). Downsides of the Nipper are that it's bulky when folded so not good for those who drive most places or have limited storage space for a buggy at home. Loulou you're right, there's no such thing as a buggy that's good for everyone. You need to pick one that reflects how you'll use it. I need a buggy that can withstand a lot of mileage, is all terrain, can be moved one handed and which fits on public transport, and at the newborn stage can be parent facing - they are my must haves. This limited us to a small number of models.

As for home birth, I'm five minutes from the hospital (we can see it from our garden!) but given various family members have ended up in HDU after labour complications - I wouldn't dare risk it personally. Neither my twin sister or her son would be here today with a home birth as there was a sudden complication that meant she needed a CS in minutes - even five minutes would have been too long to save them both. It definitely depends on your medical history and I think if you haven't experienced labour before - it would be tricky knowing if you could cope in a low tech environment or if you are likely to want more pain killing options. I'm hard as nails with broken bones etc but was surprised at how overwhelming labour is - its an emotional rather than just a physical experience and how you cope with it isn't something that's easy to predict. I am very pro non-intervention birth. The best and the worst birth stories I have ever heard have been home births - so I think when they go right they are amazing (and they go right, by far most of the time) but if they go wrong, it can be really serious, even fatal. I actually enjoyed being surrounded by MWs and in a supportive environment that wasn't phased by labour and was well used to every bizarre twist that labour can throw at up.

I'd only have the dog, cat and toddler observing me like a science project if I tried to birth at home....

I haven't ruled out a home VBAC but otherwise intend to stay at home as long as possible with the help of natal hypnotherepy, TENS machine and my doula!

I'm only 21+3 but feel way bigger than I did first time around and way more uncomfortable - probably not helped by spending the night sleeping with my poorly 3 year. He's demanding food now though so muct be on the mend

Had my consultant appointment yesterday (due to previous c-section) which went really well. She was super positive and unless I have the baby beforehand or have other issues I won't see her again till 41 weeks!

Kirsti I think that's my plan this time too. However if you go into labour before 36 weeks they tend to insist you come in straight away so I'm prepared that I might have to go in as soon as things start. Actually I think last time, psychologically I was quite happy to head to hospital as it felt as though I was getting closer to my goal of giving birth - even just by literally moving location and once we were there and cosy in our room I could just relax and labour, getting there was one less thing to worry about. I wonder how moving location late on in labour would affect my progress this time given that stress hinders oxytocin? We'll have to get J delivered to my sister before we go anywhere and settle him down so I hope its not too quick!

Hello everyone,

Wow, 8 threads! I got shocked this week by a friend who got pregnant two months before me having their baby a month early! Made me realise that if it happens to me, I'll be nowhere near prepared! I haven't even got pyjamas that I could wear decently in a hospital!

flip, not by the sea, unfortunately. Just a hideous toxic lake! There's a nice pool close by but that involves walking in the sun to get to so I've been a whale on the sofa instead!

yellow I was fully dilated upon arrival with ds. The midwife told me with my short age gap between dd and ds that if waters go to get to hospital ASAP. The delivery suite told me I would have had ds at home had he not have been back to back. Scuppered my chances of any pain relief again. That was down to DH taking ages to get home from work as he thought it was "just starting"

I was thinking about the logistics of dropping Dd off when I go into labour. If my mum is in the country she will be a 2 min drive away. Our plan b is my cousin who lives 20 mins in the opposite direction to the hospital! Hmmmmmm let's just hope my mum is about!

Sorry punky didn't meant to scare you! This bean sees to have been normal.size for dates at my scan too...but just looking at this enormous bump.has me worried!

Also hoping baby arrives mid school day otherwise 20 mins for my mum to arrive. Don't know what I will do if it all kicks off in middle of the night!

I think our plan is for my sister to come over here, either bringing her kids for a sleepover or dropping her kids off with her XH. There's not really enough room for J to sleep at hers unless he bunks in with her and he's really not into cosleeping and would just poddle out of bed and trash her house. Eeegad we need to sort that plan out - I don't know if it's better if it happens in the day or night. Last time was 22 hours from waters breaking to birth so it could be a long haul. Or as you say I could be fully dilated within an hour or so!

God I've been such a lazy cow today haven't even got dressed. I have been googling baby things though and found this cute shop www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bizzyandboo

Gunwalloe the clothes are lush but sadly possibly a bit over budget for us but OMG I love the lampshades and stuff for kids bedrooms. They're a really good price and a nice funky change from the usual twee stuff. I shall be returning at month end when my invoice is paid!

Granny, I had a home birth with my second, it was lovely, relaxed and at my own pace. Baby slept in her own moses basket straight away and I showered while my mum and midwives cleaned up and drank tea. All in all a fab experience. I hate hospitals so was adamant I was not going in unless needed

This time I'm going in for a hospital birth, my hospital has opened a midwife led unit with pools etc. I've already got 2 children who i would rather not be around during labour, and I want to try breastfeeding which I've never done so might want the support in hospital.

Hospital birth is not my first choice, but this is my husbands first and he's terrified of something going wrong at home following a haemorrhage at the end of last year. I have to respect his concerns and want to make the birth as positive as I can for us all xx

Aww ldt your homebirth experience sounds lovely :)