Due March 2007 - No. 3

[novadandypowder]

Ahem - allow me....

Not sure who asked but yes I have a cleaner. Essential for me as I hate vacuuming with a passion. Even if the cleaner is off I make DH vacuum

AmieR - I was in the water for some of my labour with DS - quite good and you can have gas & air while in the pool (they never brought it to me though )

No cleaner here - dh has a moral objection (though I suspect he just says that becuase it sounds more acceptable than a financial objection!). Actually as I'm more-or-less home based as far as work goes now, objections on the grounds of security won't work any more - so perhaps I'll have another try once I'm back at work again after this one.

I wish we could afford a cleaner. The annoying thing is, we had just about decided to get one last month, when we received horror letter from Tax Credits, cutting all our payments and claiming we owe them £4.5k.

Its like a sign from God that we should never have even considered getting a cleaner - we're destined to be broke

On my wedding day, my Dad said, "you're only marrying a black man just to wind me up aren't you?"

Its almost laughable.
To my Dad's great dismay, we've been married for 16 years now

Lunar - I hope your DP's moral objection means that he volunteers to do the cleaning.

I have a moral objection to PG women being expected to clean

OK, more update:-

weight, I'm still half a kilo less than when I got pregnant even though my belly is now huge, my cheeks are looking hollow. I'm eating like a horse either these two babies are draining me or I've got worms!

I was sick the first time yesterday, I had to get off the bus on the way home. Think I was just really tired and my body couldnt cope!

Slept flat on my back yesterday and the pain is much better today, funny last preganancy I could only sleep onmy side right from the beginning, laying on my back made me dizzy!

....I'm catching up with you all slowly....!

evenhope, sorry you are having such a bad day. teh blood test results don't necessarily mean anything. I had results as bad as you with ds, had a amnio and is fine. thinking of you xxxx

Funny you should mention it but we have been having the should we/ shouldn't we discussion r.e cleaner as I have been struggling a bit as I am just so knackered all the time.
Just keep wondering what it's like.....Hubby thinks I would have a mad tidy up before she came and wouldn't be able to leave it, but am getting to the point where any help would be much appreciated!!! My landing is just a mountain of clean clothes! I can wash them and dry them, fold them and take them upstairs, but never seem to make it to putting them away!
I could write my name in the dust on the telly and I shut the curtains when the window cleaners came yesterday
I'm not house proud, but this is the worst it's ever been and it is starting to get on my nerves!!!

the comments from your parents are so funny... which is meant in a sympathetic kind of way I'm sure I could chip in a few from my mother but I don't want to put the effort in to remembering them. We definately have an odd relationship. It's now helped by the several thousand miles between us.

Evenhope... I really feel for you with what you have been through. Get your strength back and get that letter written. Ask Onilly to proof it first .

I'm eating loads too and I can't stop thinking about food. I dream about it! My belly doesn't seem to be giving me any discomfort so I don't envy those who are suffering cramps. Sometimes during the night, I get wicked cramps in my calves. Thay're absolutely painful.

Rosylilly, dolly... you two are funny!! One here for a quickie... the other missing out on her special 'injection'. Hahahahaha

evenhope, I really hope this is just a blip and that everything will be o.k with you!

Fatfox - about cleaner, that's really bloody rotten. You'll laugh, but the cleaner is my christmas present from DH. Dont know why mine particularly as he used to get a helluva "honey do list" every Saturday which included vacuuming! So frankly think he benefits big time. I do all the cooking, laundry etc (she says defensively) but would sub that out if I could! Urg...not v.good am I ? I prefer working frankly...

Am truly dismayed to hear the labour drugs dont work.... really Diva ?

Onilly, I hate to agree, but the only pain free of my births was with a spinal block for a c section. I have had gas and air, pethidine etc. But weird though it is, you do manage, and you do kind of forget about it afterwards. Honestly, it is manageable.

I am NOT looking forward to labour at all. Sometimes I think it is better not to know what is to come.

Apart from considering a water birth, I've not really thought too much about labour.

I'm more worried about the feeling afterwards, and the mention of disposable briefs and maternity pads, and sitting on rings.

Has anyone a Best friend's Guide to Pregnancy? Its a good book, but some of the frankness is scary at times! I suppose we all need to know what to expect.

Hi ladies. Am taking a deep breath for another mammoth posting to catch up with everyone...

pmsl at penny's ladyboy ref. Maybe we could all pratice shooting ping-pong balls out of our minnies to tone up.

Piffle: I really like the name Nora. I'm picturing bunches and pinafore dresses. Aaah.

Dolly: Jonathan is my Dad's name. He's dead chuffed we've chosen it

Onilly: I'm really showing now. In fact, I think I'm about to let my maternity stuff out from the smallest setting.

Rosylily: skim-read your post and thought for a sec you were touting Oatibix as a good name for your LO.

Kitty: so sorry you're poorly. Sounds like you've been under some strain lately. At least it's a good time of year to sit with a mug of lemsip and be cosy.

Annie: congratulations on your 2 puke-free days! We WILL beat this thing! I was sick last night (after brushing teeth: yuck), but that was the first time in 6 days.

Evenhope: so sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. Hope they can clarify your blood-results soon.

Re poll: I have a cleaner. I have more time at home than DH, but I run my own business and was doing the housework instead of the paperwork. DH was supposed to do some at weekends but never did, and we finally cracked. Think we're going to keep her for a couple of months after we have the baby, but then we'll probably have to let her go, as we won't be able to afford it, what with my reduced income and extra mouth to feed.

Diva: sorry to hear about your pain. Do you think it could be SPD?

Phew. I come on most days, and it still takes ages to catch up.

Bought a little tiny cardi today. Keep cuddling it.

right-ho. Now know what my labour strategy needs to be, this spine block and c-section. Seems like a plan. How do I get me one of those ?? I am being dead serious. Am very precious & fragile - stuff the no pain no gain philosophy....

Aime - have read it... first book I got actually.. had to put it down once or twice ! Kind of freaked me out. Esp. for us first timers!

Fatfox - Cant you pay back the IR £1.50 a month for the rest of your life - surely its their balls up ?

Kiwi - my mum used to live in South Africa, til she came back to England. Best time in our relationship, ever - so I second the long distance thing... have been saving up to send her back ever since oops best shut up, she is on for babysitting duties...

On your wedding note, Fatfox - my irish FIL told all his mates in his pub that he was devasted that his son was marrying an African - just so happened that I was raised in SA (although born England and not indigenous) and fell about laughing when I walked through the door white as a sheet.... really peed me off but in retrospect quite funny too.... I guess

...... As it turns out, he is devastated that DH married me - we fight like cat and dog. The most racist, bigoted, closed mind man ever known.... family get togethers are rough, with DH giving me lectures to avoid politics, world affairs etc.

Boo - I think we will go your way, I may have to eventually give up Martina the Wonderful.... this will be after we have debated whether we can do without food, electricity and water !!!

Amie, in my experience after labour is a cinch. You havae a lovely baby and don't really think about all the other stuff. When you cuddle and smell you little baby ( I love smelling newborns) you'll think any aches you feel are so completely worth it.

If I have a boy I might call him Ronnie. Don't know why, but it sounds kind of cool

kittywits glad I'm not the only one (the smelling newborns thing) some people look at me as if I am mad when I say that! Also the way they cry for that first week or so when they sound like a little baby lamb.

onilly, having had dd 1 and 3 the 'normal' route and dd2 the other way, I would say IME go with 'normal' delivery and the quick recovery and feeling back to normal sooner afterwards.

After my section I had a catheter and drip for 2 days, could hardly walk, and as for the nice support stockings they make you wear.... and I felt crappy for quite a few weeks after as I had problems with my scar.

I'm telling you (ask kittywits and some of the other 'multiple mums' that have done it both ways), you do somehow cope with it, although undeniably it does hurt a lot at certain points along the way.

Onilly, elective sections to avoid pain are not good. You don't avoid pain, you get much more afterwards and a far greater recovery time.
If you want to be completely pain free during later labour then ask for an epidural. You won't be able to walk or feel when you need to push (unless they can give you a mobile one, which are quite rare I think).
To be honest with you, the best births I've had have been my normal ones. No pain relief and it hurt like f**k, but the feeling of exhilaration afterwards is the biggest high you will ever have in your entire life.
Don't make any hard plans now, have a few ideas and then wait to see how things are when the time comes. You have no idea what your labour will be like and how you will react. The only thing you CAN do from now until then is to keep an open mind and keep relaxed about it. Being fearful is the worst thing you can do.

Onilly, think positive, the pain is manageable wand however you give birth vaginally, even considering tearing or stitiches it is miles easier afterwards than a section.
I had emergency tummy surgery for ruptured ectopic, very similar to c section.
How on earth you would cope with a baby with that pain afterwards...

I keep thinking that so many women have more than 1 baby so as bad as it may be, its all worth it. My Aunt says it may be the worst pain but it was the quickest and easiest to forget.

I agree with the others.... I call childbirth "positive pain" ... because you a labouring towards something - a new baby - AND you know the pain will end! Normally we are in pain because of an injury or illness - somehow childbirth feels different - ALTHOUGH it is very painful !

Evenhope - hope you are OK - get all the info you can but as everyone else has said - these results are only "risk factors" they are not set in stone and are notoriously wobbly for the over 40's.

Re: the cleaner issue - I am very lucky - In Sri Lanka we have a woman who comes 6 days a week. She is really part of the family and does the cleaning, washing, ironing , some cooking and will play with the kids sometimes. She is FANTASTIC and is part of the family. I have always been a bit of a feminist and was uncomfortable with the notion to start off with - but we are trying to do positive things to help her - ie. we pay her more than other women get paid,we reduced the hours she works, we are building her a roof for her house and we are teaching her English. [guilty feminist emoticon]

I guess this is Life... Just found out my 86 yr old Grandmother has been rished to hospital with pneumonia and is uinlikey to make the night. I'm off to visit.

Least she knows there will be another one of us for me to pass on her cooking skills and to teach how to cheat at card games in a few years.

Oh Amie, that's hard for you. Dh's gran died 2 days before dd3 was born. His family were very philosophical and viewed it as the gran 'making way' for dd3. I hope whatever happens she is pain free and peaceful. They may have caught it quick enough to treat?