Due in Jan 2007 part 4: Sex?! Don't make me laugh! (When I laugh my back hurts MORE, and I wet myself)

[2Happy]

Whaddya think?!

Diasy, the one thing my mum told me that really stuck with me during my 1st labour (and so 2nd, and 3rd too) was to listen to the MW.

I know not all of us are lucky enough to have a good MW but mine was and I'm convinced listening to her advice to me during labour really made it better...maybe on fractionally but better at least.
Ok it still hurt like nothing I've ever experineced before but our bodies and built to manage the pain. Don't feel like you've got anything to prove by going for a drug free labour.....it's you thats in labour and (from persoanl experince) no-one will pat you on the back for not having pain killers. I was deteremined to not have an epidural with Ds1 and I got myself into such a state because he just wasn't coming out I made the whole thing worse. It was the MW who suggested the epidural and she was right. I was a changed woman once the pain had gone and he was born within a few painless hours.
Ds2+3 were both born at home without drugs and although I'M proud of that fact but no-one else really cares....bastards!! .

Hmmm. I appear to have bought a car. How'd that happen?

Doh! eBay? You can end up with all sorts of stuff if you're not careful...

Thankfully no ebay involved, lulu (unlike that 3yo on the news!) All we did was go for a little afternoon potter in the sunshine. Ended up buying a car. Still, I needed to ditch the hatchback - two doors + two children = knackered back! At least this one has 4 doors. And front seat heaters, mmmmmmmmmmmm, always wanted those!

Oooh. Tip - those are GOOD for back pain...

waht did you get??

we ordered ours the other day. My uncle works for Ford so we got a FAB bargain. It'sa new S-max and we got over £5000 off the price!!!

I'll be very nervous about driving it whe it arrives...brand spanking new car and a hormonal PG woman doesn't strike me as a good combination!!

It's a volvo S40, second hand but nice low mileage. It's far bigger than anything I've ever driven before, but I've insisted on it being fitted with rear parking sensors before I buy!
When do you get yours, LTH?
Lulu - so I'll end up sitting in the car at 3am then?!

Not until mid december, by which time I probably won't even fit behind the steering wheel anyway

Is the s40 the 4x4 one??
very nice....but don't let the rest of Mumsnet know, you know how they feel about 4x4's

It's not 4x4, though I toyed with the idea of one - where we live they are used properly, as in, without one there are always going to be days of the year when you just can't get to work (oh dear, what a shame I didn't get one, then ). dh might get one with his next trade-in, but since he rocks all over muddy fields on a daily basis, and has his car kicked in by cows fairly regularly, he kind of has to have a 4x4! But then we'd end up with both of us driving volvos. Jeez, we're getting old!
Is the s-max one with 7 seats? £5 grand off, that's blooming good!

Yes, it the new fancy, all singing, all dancing 7 seater by Ford.

DH is well chuffed with the discount as it means we's got a flash, fancy, all singing and dancing car with lots of added goodies for the price of the bog standard one.

Just need to pay for it now.....

Oh yes...your DH is the vet, isn't he??

Oh well, a 4x4 will be alllowed in MNland for you

He is, yes. Maybe I will weave an extra few lentils to make up for it! (the 4x4 I mean, not the fact that dh is a vet!)

Lol you lot are crazy we just have a plain old rover 25.

Lth im proud you had a drug free labour bring it on I say.

I'll tell you now Laughalot, with this one being born at home too I'll be wanting a bloody medal!!!

Ahhhh, to have a car in the day. We lost our second car earlier in the year and couldnt afford to get another one (which lead to lots of smug 'oh dear, I guess thats the down side of staying at home full time' from my working mum friends as they all drive off in their brand spanking new cars).

Is there anyone else out there subject to public transport or walking? I am feeling quite a minority and TBH, very .

I am sick of when I tell people how preg I am them saying 'gosh, you are so small'. I am sure it feels worse if they are saying you look massive but I feel like they are saying that it must be all easier to seem smaller. I am still getting all the horrible symptoms of being 27 weeks preg and am really knackered but I went to sing and sign with my DS1 on fri and a lady I have known there for afew weeks obviously just realised that I was preg! I am tall and therefore have lots of room for my baby to grow and my DS was not too big (8lbs7) so expecting this one to be the same if not smaller as it will prob be born a week early by section where as DS1 hung one for an extra 2 weeks. Why do people never blurt out nice things like 'gosh, you are looking really good for being that far gone' or something like that. I vow to tell every preg woman I speak to how lovely and glowing she looks even if she is swollen all over and sweaty!!

Don't worry you are not alone. My boyfriend has got a Volvo with heated leather seats etc - I didn't say I could drive it. I'm doing a half-hour train journey and a half-hour walk twice a day - train isn't too bad but the walk is starting to feel very long.

The last week has been really tough - I have gone from feeling full of beans to knackered and constantly too hot and a bit sick. I've also lost my appetite a bit and certainly for anything healthy (the only way I could face lunch today was to make a pan of brownies). So is it just me or is it going to be like this until the end now?

Dragon, I have to do walking and public transport. I don't drive but to be honest coz we live so near to the schools and the buses are great I really don't mind

Well I am officially feeling like a beached whale although I don't look like one. I was huge in the early weeks but have slowed down and have a neat and tidy bump
Think I have spd though Really bad pain in my pubic bone ouch!!!!

Hattie, is the pliko that bad?? I have just bought a pliko with carseat and surefix base and the carry cot to go on it too. The whole lot is over £450 new but I bought ours from a lady up the road for £70. Worried now incase I hate it

Magnolia, I used a pliko on loan from John Lewis when they sent my push chair to be fixed and I was quite impressed. Didnt try the carseat or carrycot, but it was obviously well used and had lasted very well. DS loved it much more that the one we had and I think he was quite sad to get back into ours when they returned it!

I have suddenly got really knackered too Lulu, sort of over night. Gone from feeling really good (better than when Im not preg!) to feeling like every tiny thing is such an effort. Even leaving it to the last minute to go to toilet as I cant be bothered to go upstairs and that is quite a risky business, I can tell you!!

I have just taught DS to go up and down the stairs which is helping my back and as he is walking more and more, that helps too. Trying to carry him as little as pos as he is so heavy and I have been getting really bad sciatica (sp?) pains when carrying him. He loves going up and down, the only down side is that I now have to get 2 stair gates for the top and bottom!!

Well I am on my 3rd pushchair and DD only 2 startd with M&P travel system great but wished I had gone for the pramette as only out car seat in it twice as she liked laying flat. Buggy was a chicco stroller fantastic used daily after 5 months old loved it etc etc but got really badly damaged when we came home from holiday this year and was so grubby from sand/ice cream etc we thew it then bought a pilko pushchair 2nd hand from friend (umbrella style fold up small compared to my M&P travel system) and DD seems very keen (well the odd occasion she'll actually go into a buugy) think she likes it as its padded and she likes the bar thing across the front as she can put her teddy on her lap and pretends he is driving (simple pleasures of a 2 yr old )

I am knackered and getting bad headache every night seeing midwife next week so may mention them as I know the last couple of urine samples have had traces of protein, don't wont to get to stressed about it but better safe than sorry. Hope everyone has had good weekend we have been to PIL as its MIL birthday DD had fab afternoon running around their garden with her older cousins and is absolutley knackered and snoring away in bed looks like an angel at the moment!!!

Popping in to see how you all are. Nice to see that your all cheerful (at least thats how it comes across!)

Any news trinity? I haven't properly looked for another thread and this one is too long now!

LTH, We looked at the S-max when it forst came out, its a lovely car DS1 didn't want to get out of it!! If we are ever able to have more children that will be the car we get. Enjoy it, howwever fat you are

Just popped in to say Hi and catc up. Thanks to all who replied to my labour worries post. Wish I could have a c-section really, that would take anxiety away! LTH you deserve a medal, 2 bubs at home with no pain relief makes my eyes water just thinking about it!
Can I just ask why some people are against epidurals, to me they sound wonderful, is there something they don't tell us about them?

What can you use for pereneal massage, magazines say almond oil but is there an alternative?

Whilst I'm on the subject, got to try & 'groom' my fanjo using the mirror! How awkward! have told DP he'll have to do it if I struggle! I could never find the thread on grooming lady gardens. Maybe I should have a full on wax just before I'm due might help me prepare for the labour pains!
Hope everyone is okx

hey all.am so tired i cant even type.started to worry if i will actually cope with four.sounds like your husband works long hours aswell lth,are we a bit mad!must send husband for snip asap.

hey all.....i'm very jealous, a new car. i love the s-max as well, i saw it and said to DH "i want that one!" but, being poor as we are, we stuck with our 11 year old ford escort. i love it though. i don't have it during the day usually, as DH works 15 miles away and drives to work, so i'm on public transport too. (hence my long rant about rude old people the other day!!)

as for tiredness, yes i am well up there with you guys. last week i was full of the joys of spring (or autumn) having great fun getting the nursery ready and clothes and everything. now everything's pretty much done (obviously the problem with being too efficient ) and i'm sort of drifting about not really knowing what to do with myself. my friends keep saying "make the most of it, once the baby's born you'll be so busy you won't have time for anything!" but i'm looking forward SO MUCH to my baby, i'm a bit worried i'm wishing my days away and not enjoying my pregnancy, but honestly, i just wish it was christmas already (and i was all sorted with buying presents and everything, obviously!)

had some mad pregnancy dreams last night, worrying about the labour. i dreamed i was in the bath and shouting for DH to phone the midwife, but he was downstairs and he wouldn't come up because he had to phone his best mate! madness! in my dream i wasn't in any pain though, so maybe that's a positive sign??! getting kind of scared about it now...

oh, as far as i know from my obsessive book-reading epidurals are great, except you're stuck in the bed. as i understand it, you're paralysed from the waist down, which means you can't even go for a wee. which means you have to have a catheter. i think you can still push, and you and the baby are still alert, so it's not like pethidine where you can get a bit groggy. has anybody used TENS before, or planning to this birth? i'm hoping to labour in the bath and use water for pain relief, but we shall see. it's all very new and scary.

I used a TENS machine for ds2+3 and thought it was FAB for the early stages.

Actually, I don't really concider TENS machine as a pain relief. It just stimulates whatever it stimualtes in your back doesn't it?? It's all natural stuff inside me already....

Hmmmm is a TENS machine pain relief??

Epidurals are great, and because you're numb anyway the catheter really isn't a big deal. I was horrified at the thought of having a catheter(I mean, come on... that tube going into a really really really teeny hole....ewww) but I really couldn't feel at thing. Once it was in the MW pressed on the bladder and it all came out. I didn't even know I needed to go!!
(That was for Ds's birth BTW)

I think TENS does count as pain relief - thought it worked by blocking the pathway between the site of the pain and your brain to bamboozle you into not realising it hurts. Either way I have heard only good things about it and I'm planning to give it a go. Plus it gives DP a GADGET to be in charge of.