The final *JULY 2014* The one where we ALL move to post-natal

[justhayley]

Hiya so this will probably be our last ante natal thread Really hope that our postnatal thread is as busy.
You ladies have been a great support, and it's been fab going through pregnancy with you all. I honestly don't know how I would have got through the last 6 weeks of 4am wakings without you.

I'm not due till 24th and have no signs baby is still coming early so will probably be the last one one here - don't forget me!

Anyway will love you and leave you - actually will now pop back onto our regular thread for a chat

Happy birthing

Thanks its Dont want to get hopes up so had a shower and going to try and nap for a bit if I can now

Sounds very promising ipsum!

Happy birthday Nancy. Have a lovely evening with your DH.

And good luck Blue! Sounds as though you may have a prompt baby (glares at belly!).

All ok here following my rant at DH yesterday where I pointed out to him the harsh reality of living with a wannabe IM. I do feel for him as it isn't really either of us to behave how we are but 9 weeks and 1 day and hopefully it will all be over. His first 1/2 IM starts in under 4 hours. Hopefully labour won't kick off then!

Ooo ipsum and blue very exciting. There's a special full moon tonight - iv had 3 friends text me to tell me this know idea about this full moon stuff, all iv heard is today is a special one that only happens 3 times a year - or could be once every 3 years - something about a 3 anyway lol. Either way apparently it sends lots of women into labour.

Happy birthday Nancy. Hope you enjoyed your date night with DH.

Collie: I got no stretch marks with DS and until 36 weeks had none this time. I assumed I wouldn't get them again but between 36-37 weeks I grow loads and could actually feel my skin stretching. Now have a few on stomach. I know it should matter bla bla bla but I'm totally gutted about them so understand where your coming from.

I had an emotional day. After arguing with DP last weekend he hasn't bothered to call or even text me all week. iv been equally stubborn but as a 9 month pregnant women looking after his DS alone I don't think I should have to .He's usually always home Friday evening & this week he didn't come back. I got it in my head that this must mean he's leaving me etc etc. sent him a long text at 5am yesterday - hence my lack of posting, and had a bit of a rough one back in the morning then he just ignored me . Iv never been so angry and disappointed with him in the 10 years we've been together. I spent a lot of the morning crying trying to hide it from DS as he doesn't ever really see me upset, & saying mummy's eyes were itching when he saw tears.
He's highly stressed at work as the whole Army has some kind of government inspection Monday, & he's in charge if quite a big chunk of his regiment, but there really is no excuse for his behaviour he's been less than disgusting to me & should be ashamed of himself.
Few texts exchanged in the evening & he said he'd drive back to sort things out, but I already arranged for my mum to stay and she was almost here, so I told him not to bother.
Need to get on normal terms with him as the way I'm feeling right now I don't even want him here when I'm in labour and and tempted to just send him a photo when baby is born. (Will have to try my best not to do this if labour kicks off before he's done some serious grovelling apologising. Do not need this right now.

My mums going to stay with me for a few days encase things start, & to generally help out with DS as I'm starting to lose energy now & not be able to do much. Looking after a lively energetic 2 year old is hard enough on your own let alone when this pregnant.

Had a nice evening with mum, was getting her familiar with all my labour stuff so she knows where it is and who to call if I'm in no fit state etc etc. she decided to test out my TENS machine & was jumping all over the house lol. Needed a bit of a laugh today.

Finally packed my if I'm transferred to hospital bag. Even if I get my home birth though it will be helpful to have everything I need for me & baby post delivery in one place.

Having birth pool stress again. Thought I had the adapters all sorted - tried to used them with the hose to fill up DS paddling pool today and the hose kept pulling the hose adaptor down so water would just spray all over the place. Going to homebase with mum first thing in the morning to try and get it sorted once & for all.
I'm blaming DP for this as I needed man help to sort this out last weekend. I'll be gutted if I don't get to use my pool because of stupid tap and hose adaptors.

Had about 10 mins of tightenings tonight. (2.30am ish). Went to the loo and had to walk around the house a bit and now back in bed they seem to have gone. Thought maybe things were happening for me but doesn't look like it.

Anyone know what to do in this situation. My MW asked me to book an appointment with her at 39 weeks, & I'd a assume another at 40/41 if I'm still pregnant. Anyway the GP says there is absolutely no MW appointments available till August 3rd!!! I'm due July 24th.
Will call antenatal clinic at local hospital Monday as theyv been closed since Friday noon but surely I need to be slotted in somewhere?!?
Or as I'm booked for a home birth will MW have to make a time & come to me? Surely there can't be that many pregnant women where I live!!!

Anyway been awake over an hour do am going to try & get back to sleep.
Hope blue and ipsum have some baby need for us in the morning xxx

Awwww bump has hiccups they usually last a while so I could be awake for a while yet

Ahh Hayley. So sorry your DH is being such a ....!!! It is so disappointing and upsetting and how very dare he behave as he is?! Who cares if work is stressful?! You should be the number 1 priority. Am so glad your mum is with you to support and make you laugh and good luck sorting out the hose and adapters. Hope your H does some serious grovelling

Echoing inca here hayley - that's no way to behave when your partner and mother of your children is about to give birth. Good you have your mum for support. Thinking of you and hope you can get those damn tap adapters sorted tomorrow finally!

So went to sleep as instructed and everything died down yet again!! Woke up hungry half an hour ago and now trying to summon energy to walk around to get things moving again, though should probably sleep some more?! Just feel the deadline of DS waking up in the morning looming and assumed I'd be well into established labour, maybe even pushing or snuggling my little one by now! This baby clearly has other plans!

hayley so so sorry about everything with your DP, makes my frustration with DH seem v minor! So glad your DM is staying, really hope you can get stuff sorted with him ASAP. This is the adaptor we've managed to get to work on our kitchen mixer tap adaptor

Grrrr...contractions coming again just not as frequent...

DH just got up to start his eating frenzy before heading off to register. Rather him than me!! 4.50am on a Sunday morning?! Strange man.

Sorry to hear things have slowed down again Blue. I would rest if I were you in case nothing happens until this evening but keeping fingers (not legs!) crossed for you. No sign of anything here!

its

as the healing process takes places and you get more mobile the stitches tend to cut in more because there tends to be a bit if swelling.
It's usually worse around days 3-5 - typically to coincide with milk coming in, pg hormones exiting and tearfulness arriving. nice combo, innit?

I recommend using kitchen paper towels to use instead of toilet paper for two things:

1, to hold gently support the stitches when doing a poo.
people fret thinking stitches might pop out, delay going then end up constipated. don't delay it, but when bowel movements are inevitable support the stitches!

2, after going to the loo (wee or poo) don't clean with loo paper. it crumbles and is a nightmare to get rid of!
have a quick shower instead adab yourself dry with paper towels.

soooo much nicer!

blue

I haven't slept yet - bloody twinges, pinching, aching kept me up!
I am so shattered I couldn't blow my nose too hard right now, let alone push a baby out - so s/he better stay in until I have a good night's sleep!

sorry, I didn't read other post properly will read back later.

ellie

glad he is doing better.

honestly, if you consider reborn dolls I'll have to whack you on the head with a bunch of celery!

Just got home from dinner with DH and opened a birthday pressie from my best friend who babysat: a bag full of British chocolate and biscuits . Looking forward to working my way through them!

hayley oh lovely, I am in shock at your P!! I don't even know what to say. Glad you have your DM to help out. Running after a toddler solo for days on end is no fun right now. xxx

blue sorry it's all slowed down again :(.

And on the subject of post-birth poo and wees... I used a squirty bottle to rinse afterwards rather than loo paper. And took a lot of stool softeners (I was on a high dose of iron)!

Just a very quick post on the way to the hospital for this pessary to say Hayley I'm thinking of you and that's really awful behaviour from your husband. There's no excuse for not supporting you and he should be a bit forgiving given how pregnant you are and that you already have DS to look after too.

Blue, how frustrating, you have been through it this week. Hoping you will have the easiest one push labour as a result of all this though.

Some great tips from Zing on stitches, thanks

zing thanks! Am (ahem, tmi alert) pleased to report that it all went ok in regards to that first post birth poo in the early hours of this morning - holding a maternity pad to my stitches and having a shower to clean afterwards definitely helped. I think I was almost as scared about that as childbirth. (Who was saying on the FB page about how much we're willing to share after giving birth?!)

nancy hurray for snacks from home! DH and I lived abroad for a year and the occasional delivery from visitors of Brit chocolate, tea, baked beans and Irn Bru was much appreciated. Hope you had a good birthday! X

Well - eventually back to far apart less regular pains again this morning so I guess no baby yet Starting to feel a little impatient but I know she will come when she is ready and I have a sweep booked for thursday if not before then!

blue sorry its all slowed down again!

hayley thats no way for your oh to behave! He may be stressed with work but he deserves a slap round the head with a wet fish Hope he sees reason soon - bloody men! Good you have your mum there though in the meantime

mrsa goodluck for today - hope it all goes well!

Ok - tired after last nights excitement so im going back to sleep for an hour - will catch up later!

Ooh so much going on here! Sorry to those I have forgotten to congratulate or wish good luck to.

blue must be getting sooo frustrating now - come on baby!

hayley so sorry your DP is behaving so appallingly, what is wrong with them? hope you get the pool sorted today!

its congratulations on your poo

Good luck today MrsA

Had a bit of a wobble yesterday feeling unprepared for the reality of being a parent and wondering why the hell we're throwing away our lovely child-free life. It feels so wrong at this stage not to be giddy with excitement about meeting the baby. Met up with a friend who asked me what I was most looking forward to and was genuinely stumped by the question.

I still know I do want this - it feels like wanting to swim in the sea but the only way to get there is to stand on the shore and wait to be knocked off your feet by a massive wave, and all I can think about is drowning.

Hi all, well we made it through the first night...have had some sleep although did end up with Theo in bed at one point as just needed a rest and every time I put him down we had screaming. He got awful wind as well so making sure we wind him properly from now on. its the pain and stitches are what is making this unbearable for me- lack of sleep I can deal with, pain and excessive bleeding not so much
. Theo also was sucking his arm to comfort himself didn't think anything of it then seen he has broken the skin! bad mum alert!

Plate that is perfectly normal!! Promise. Well it is for me anyway. I felt the same just before DS came along and he was so, so worth it. And have to admit that throughout most of this pregnancy I have felt the same. I feel almost like I am pushing my luck as DS is so fab and life is now pretty cruisey... However I am sure this is all just part of being pregnant and when times are tough which on occasion they will be, just repeat to yourself that this stage will pass!

Thanks girls. I feel like I should be able to even be unreasonably stroppy and he should man up and deal with it. In this situation I def haven't been unreasonable but even if I was .......
He just text me to see if I wanted him to come home today to sort rings out. Is the World Cup final on today I'm thinking planning a walk to the park to talk during that time may be a good suggestion and the start of pay back lol. To be honest in not sure if I want to see him today because after a week he's now ready. I know that's really immature if me but hey.
Mums taken DS to church so I'm going to get ready in peace (had a lazy morning) and then decide. I am in no great rush to let him no!

Awww blue was hoping you would have baby news. Thanks for tap link. That was one of the ones that came with the pool but doesn't work on my mixer taps just the bathroom sink single ones. If I can't sort it, the pool hire company suggested I fill the bath or even kitchen sink and plunge the out meter pump thing into it and drain the bath of water into the pool so doing it backwards but it's an option. Probably a last resort but at least it would be possible and better than attempting to fill the pool with buckets

Thanks incapinka reassuring to know it's not just me!

DH has finally started doing useful stuff this weekend (for some reason this involved constructing some ikea furniture for the nursery in the middle of the night?). We now finally have converted the tip of a box room into a nursery, cleaned up the second hand buggy and got the hospital bag finished. Just need to fit the car seat and have a big tidy up in the rest of the house and then we are baby ready (even if not psychologically )

plate DEFINITELY not just you! I was feeling a bit down yesterday for the same reason. I loved being a couple with no kids, being free to holiday where and when we wanted, long lie-ins, being able to train for runs/walks etc... Also - I am so selfish, how will I cope even with sharing my other half's attention and love with another being?

I had a really bad night. Woke up at 3.30 massively hot and sticky with a sore throat, my bump was burning hot, I immediately got panicky and thought I'd somehow damaged the poor little hostage. Luckily after a cold drink, 2 paracetamol and sitting in front of a fan for a few minutes, the baby started wriggling like mad (and continued to do so until I fell asleep a few hours later).

At times like that I feel that I can't wait to get the baby out so at least I can monitor it 24/7. I just don't feel ready for this level of responsibility sometimes!

plate I have definitely had moments like that since coming home with the little one.

I second zings recommendation for kitchen towel after birth instead of toilet paper - in hospital I used paper hand towels as the toilet paper was too bitty! I never got round to using my oils as they were at home but using the shower head to rinse stitches with water seemed to help.

mrsa2 hope all progressing well

ickle sorry to hear you're in so much pain- was it 3rd degree tear in the end? Stitches not fun! Shallow baths with teatree or lavender oil good for soothing and antiseptic properties for stitches.

its glad all ok with the first trip - I remember being v nervous about that thinking/feeling as though it was all going to fall apart! I'll be guzzling lactulose again this time to keep it all nice and soft (TMI again!) :)

plate, mupperoon, auntie I think the panic is perfectly normal! Like Inca I'm having it a bit this time around as DS was a v chilled out easy baby- what if this one v difficult (already showing a tendency for this with it's shall i/shan't I approach to arriving!)

Ips how are you doing now?

Nancy yeah for chocs and biscuits! We always had to travel with half a suitcase of Mum's favourite biscuits when we went to visit her!

Hayley what a pain re the taps- in all honesty if we'd redone our kitchen already I'm pretty certain the tap I'd have chosen would be useless with the adaptors- just our kitchen is ancient so it works. Could you use 2 hoses, one for hot and one for cold running from bathroom tap? pool would fill quicker that way and then still easy to top up with hot or cold as needed and you could reuse one of the hoses for emptying. I have heard of the bath plus pump option working before though so also an option. This is where I get frustrated about the lack of MLU where I live as that wouldve been my first choice and homebirth second-just a lot to organise for HB!

So had a good morning and getting more intense contractions than last night, think they're approx every 10-15min at the moment though not timing. Realised that timing them stressed me out last time too so going to hold off doing that for as long as possible. Was weird being at church this morning with everyone asking how I was and me being as casual as I could about it all whilst secretly breathing through the contractions that did come while I was there :) Bets are on baby going to interrupt the football tonight!!

Thanks blue 2nd degree cuts but just a lot of stitches, had to get a second opinion as at one point thought might need surgery due to membrane left inside which I'm guessing would be more painful. Feeling more positive today after midwife visit this morning and a long pain free ish feed!

hayley good time to arrange a walk please do it! Hope you find an adapter what a nightmare!

plate hope you get everything sorted

its was less stingy and more pain free than I expected- lots of dabbing less wiping still at the moment!