November 2014 - thread 9. The one with the babies.

[amy83firsttimer]

Waddle aboard ladies.

Strawberry you are making me feel hungry! No mean feat given that I'd also happily exist on takeaways for the next two weeks. I have completely lost all interest in food at the moment - coming from me that's quite something as I'm normally a huge foodie.

OhMjh and Caz welcome I'm also due on the 14th but praying he or she will turn up earlier. Caz, you sound like I was yesterday - not much fun is it!

I'm another one with a very heightened sense of smell. Poor DP can't wear his usual aftershave because I can't stand it any more, the smell of cooking meat and the thought that it might stick to the freshly washed baby clothes is turning me into a complete raving nutter - I had hysterical tears over the smell of the roast on Sunday - and no matter how often I wash the dogs' beds they just seem to stink to high heaven. DP assures me they don't but I don't believe him!

Oooh, good luck Amy!

Oooh exciting AMY hopefully this is it for you!

OHMJH I have exactly same things going on today bump is so hard and has also dropped quite a bit! Due day after you!

Oooo Amy keep us posted!! Good luck!!

Also batch booking here, Shepard's pie, pulled pork, paella, mushroom stew, loads of tomato sauce.

Stinking cold is now a cough... Luckily the gaviscon soothes the cough too.

One box set done, now for a movie (and some ice cream).

DH thinks they're BH (or Branston pickles as he calls them) as they're getting closer together v quickly but each only last a few seconds.

Evening all. Welcome lurkers and newbies. Hope you're ok hot fuzz and an arose fingers crossed. Congrats on babies if I've missed any!

Was awake from early hours with backache and low stomach ache / pains again. Went off when I got up and had a bath but seems to come back when I lie down. I've been getting the random pains on one side as well. Think it's to do with the lie as well. Hope it's signs of something but could do with baby hanging on until after this weekend when we have a family thing 2 hours away. We will be taking car seat and hospital bag needless to say!

Evening Ladies.

Having a bit of a panic about a home visit, we litteraly found out two days ago so nothing is in place for baby yet, still need to re arrange my room and the spare room needs clearing out. If they turn up unnanounced to do a home visit they wont be happy. I know they want to do one asap but come on, give us a chance!

If our new friends want to add themselves by copying & pasting & putting in a new post I think this is the latest list!

Arrivals
Mrsy87 - 13th Oct DD
Mathssssteacher1234 - 22nd Oct DS
Bunnykitten - 24th Oct DS
Happypotamus - 26th Oct DD
WinterLover - 28th October, DD

Still waiting impatiently
WeeOnion 25th October DC2 Ssssh it's a secret (DD born at 40 + 3)
Kantha - 30th October, DC3 surprise. (DS1 40+17 EMCS, DS2 39+3 VBAC)
Annarose2014 - 1st November, DC1, boy
CraziesTogether - 1st November, girl
Hopeful83 - 4th November, DC1, girl
Ladydolly - 6th November DC1, girl
ToniWol - 7th November DC1, suprise
Petal26 - 9th November, DC2, Boy (DD1 born at 41+6)
Amy83firsttimer - 10th November, DC1, surprise
KarmaViolet - 10th November, DC1, surprise
Mumonabroom - 10th November but C Section 4th Nov scheduled, DC3, girl
Starfish99 - 11th November, DC1, surprise
WorkFreeWannabe - 13th November, DC1, Boy
Catg83 - 13th November, boy
Crazybit -14th November, DC4, boy, being induced 31.10.14 due to previous shoulder dystocia
Pinkgirlythoughts- 14th November, DC2, surprise (DS born 41 weeks)
Thisisimpossible - 14th November, DC1, surprise
MrsY87- 14th November, DC1, surprise
Excitedforbaba - 15th November, DC1, surprise
Moggle - 17th November, DC1, surprise
TwigletFiend - 17th November, DC1,
Utopian99 - 18th November dc2 surprise (DS born 42 weeks)
Haventgotaclue1 - 18th November, DC1, surprise
FTMK - 19th Nov, DC1, surprise. May be induced from Nov 5th due to GD
Blamber - 19th November, DC1, boy
FruitBadger - 20th November, DC1
Getyourflipflopson- 21st November, dc3, boy (third boy!)
DrBlondie - 22nd November, dc1, girl
Strawberryfield - 23th November DC1, girl!
hotfuzzra - 24th November, DC1, surprise
Arkkorox - 24th November, DC1, suprise
Thehedgehogsong - 27th Nov, DC2, surprise

Arkkorox who is doing a home visit? I never had one of those. (thank god...)

You only really need to sort out a moses basket. Get one new so the mattress is new. Not expensive. That and a packet of nappies plus a bag of cotton wool.

Im not entirely sure, possibly health visitor? Its because of how the whole thing has happened. Had a bizzare chat with the midwife earlier who seemed to be under the impression that I had hidden the pregnancy from my family for some reason, I appreciate she was doing her job but whoever wrote my notes on tuesday got the total wrong end of the stick! Im not ashamed of my pregnancy, im not a full time carer for my gran, I do have a reliable partner and I am in contact with my parents!!! Seriously nhs please stop screwing up before I leave the hospital with the wrong baby or something. But because my pregnancy was picked up on so late ive been refered to the vaunerable something or other team so I assume thats why they want to do a home check.

Arokkorox if it's the health visitor they just want to introduce themselves and say what services they provide, and they call first! They didn't check about sleeping or anything like that. The purpose is that you're not meeting them for the first time after birth when you don't remember a thing they've said!

Sorry cross posted.
They should book an appointment. You can say obviously you're not ready yet as it's only been a few days since you found out, so you've got some things to get.

You can refuse their visits too if they start to become a pain!

Oooh thank you for that, I feel slightly less panicky now!

hedgehog you had health visitor coming before the baby is here? Have been told they would start to show up after the birth and even then first would be MW coming around. Maybe it's different in each area?

In my area its MWs for 5 days post-birth, but only if you do an early discharge (1 night stay). Otherwise it doesn't happen cos you're supposed to have time to get that support in hospital.

You still get someone coming around at some stage to check your fanny though. When I was a student nurse I accompanied a few visits. Didn't have a bog what I was doing!

My health visitor came end of last week after booking an appointment with me. She went through the things that were available in the area for support after the baby is born, talked me through when they visit post-birth and asked me a few general questions about our family set up and also explained their stance on how to manage the baby re SIDS etc etc because it's my first and I think they just have to state the party line on some things. I just nodded and smiled. It was all very straightforward and non-threatening and despite DP and I cleaning the house frantically before she got there all she did was sit on the sofa and chat to me. I was dreading it beforehand but it was fine.

You'll be fine Ark. It was mostly about the support that's available after the birth. I found it much less threatening and invasive than my initial checking in appointment with the midwife at the hospital which I felt was more like the Spanish Inquisition!

I think HV visit protocol varies by area.

When we lived in Guildford I first met the HV post birth. Here I have had an ante-natal visit two weeks ago.

Ark - don't stress about a home visit. Once they understand the circumstances that you have found yourself in they won't expect everything to be ready instantly. They probably want to make sure that you are feeling ok, and answer questions you may have as well as go through all the stuff they need to tell you. New babies really don't need very much stuff contrary to what all the baby marketing hype might lead you to believe.

Hi everyone, it's great to see the thread so busy and welcome to the new posters. Last pregnancy I lurked SO much without ever posting and I wish I had just gotten stuck in, so welcome again to everyone who has! It's weirdly helpful to know that there are a bunch of women out there all going through more or less exactly the same thing.

39 weeks today and I should be getting ready to go to yoga class but I'm bailing tonight, I just can't face it. DH is under orders to boot my ass there next week if I'm still around, but for tonight I'm staying in with the Hallowe'en chocolate. lady - yes, I have a 39 week appointment tomorrow, with my GP (over here we do combined care, alternating visits between MW and GP). I'm fairly sure the baby isn't engaged, although like some of you others the bump is SO hard and tight and the backache has kicked in. Obsessively knicker-checking here but absolutely nothing going on. Don't really feel like anything's imminent.

I did my batch cooking over the last few weeks and now I'm done, the freezer is full and I can't be arsed to do any more. Postnatally, I'm planning to say YES this time to any and all offers of help and specify that food is extremely helpful...

Re. newborn poo, what will get the korma stains out is sunlight. If the sun appears at all (and you can be bothered saving the babygros - sometimes you might just be too knackered to do it), wash the clothes and peg them up outside pronto. The sun will zap out the stains over a few hours. Don't ask me how this magic works but it works (see also: tomato sauce). I am almost - ALMOST - looking forward to dealing with newborn milk poo again, it is positively delightful compared to the grossness of the solid poo that comes after...

I'm annoyed with Amazon, I ordered a copy of JuJu Sindin's Birth SKills about 10 days ago and it was supposed to be here by today at the latest and it's not here. I would like at least to skim through it before going into labour! I have Ina May's book already. I might take it down again. I enjoyed reading it the first time around although found myself a bit impatient with parts of it afterwards. From memory all of the anatomy/sphincter stuff is very useful knowledge to have so I should go brush up now.

Good luck amy, hope you're not too uncomfortable!

kantha how are you doing?

AnnaRose yep there's no doubt about it, cluster feeding is annoying, frustrating, and claustrophobic. Still, it's good that you know about it now so can mentally be prepared! I was another one last time who had never heard of it so being prepared will hopefully make it easier.

Probably loads more updates I haven't picked up on but hope everyone is doing OK!

Hi Greenstone. I'm 40 weeks today , and very much still pregnant. I have had phases of 'contractions' at various points over the last few days, but they come and go. I have also lost a lot of mucus plug especially this morning. I ought to scroll back and reread winter's posts from a few days ago as I think she was losing plug and now has a baby to cuddle. It might perk me up! Things seem to be following the pattern my MW predicted for third babies: they mess you around, in that it is very stop start for ages and then labour goes like the clappers at the end

Strawberry yes I've met her already. Last pregnancy they came on day 3 after birth I think. This time they said policy has changed and mums should get to meet their HV before birth to better explain what the HV is for. Maybe some areas haven't got round to it yet? Only started this year the HV said.

I cleaned the whole house too thisisimpossible and she just sat on the sofa. Wouldn't even have a cuppa!

Arkkorox-I had a home visit last week, it is probably to give you all the leaflets and baby's red book, don't worry :) They didn't check I had anything either!

I'm being induced tomorrow. I know I haven't been on much but may have some time to actually read through and get to see what people have been posting. Ex is taking me to the hospital but not sure if he is staying or not and dd1 is looking after dd2 and ds1. Don't think it has sunk in yet..

Ark, we had our health visitor appointment a couple of weeks ago. I was kinda expecting a white glove inspection of the nursery, but she never left the living room. The closest she came was ticking off on her form that we have central heating! It was so we could met her pre-birth, get the red baby book, find out about local baby orientated activities, and for her to be supportive (and realistic) about things like breastfeeding and PND. Nothing judgemental at all. X

Crazybit, good luck for tomorrow! Just think, you'll have your gorgeous little one in your arms soon! X