The JS Grads turn 18! We are young, we are free, keep our foofs all tidy! No cigs, alcohol and a lack of JSing... but Nik Naks, Monster Munch and chip butties for all!

[Pisghetti]

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 18th grads thread... celebrating the success of Just Shagging in getting us viroids upduffed!

For those that don't know, a 'viroid' is from the original JSing thread 1, where someone was trying to type ladies (in reference to all the JSing ladies), but their phone decided to call us all viroids instead!

The name stuck and we've been the JSing viroids ever since.

The thread we have graduated from is here in its 35th outing. WARNING: they're all a bit kerazy not to mention randy!

There is also a Just Mumming thread in postnatal clubs here for once your babies come along, or to keep up with the graduated graduates! It's a bit quiet at the moment, but with all these upduffed viroids hopefully it won't be for long!

There is also a private facebook group (so it doesn't give the game away in your news feed!)... if you want to join to see photos of new babies etc, just ask in-thread!

So, roll call below please, viroids!

[Pisghetti]

Go on Zyla - give the kitty a target I got DS to do the tree while I lazed on the sofa supervised

[willywallace]

Do it Zyla, it'll look so pretty when it's done!
Hurray for bumpage Fleur.

[TheBooMonster]

zyla I can send you DD, she's discovered a new favourite game in decorating the tree then chucking it all back in the box and starting again

[ChatEnOeuf]

Brand new Fred! Think we'll have a couple of babies out by the end??

Thanks for the [tea] and , Lil. My living room looks like a shit tip, presents, boxes, stuff to back home for Christmas...and 3kg of chocolate all neatly and beautifully boxed :)

[RPopz]

Eee Lil that is super exciting

Also I need NO encouragement to eat cake...

Zyla get decorating!! DH cannot be trusted with the tree.. he has no sense of aesthetics!

Are people seriously commenting on your bump already La??

[ZylaB]

Ok, ok. I'm decorating(ish)

My head is full of this whole delivery dilemma I have. Knowing she'll probably need to be early for placenta reasons etc, and that an induction on a diabetic is more likely to end in an intervention of some sorts (I don't have stats for that yet, am going to ask in a month at my next appointment), what would you do?? Try the induction, or go for a CS? (I'm just worried I'll try induction, I'll be stressed, baby will get stressed, then have to have a CS anyway).

So a straw poll, WWYD?

[laurenamium]

I thought scarlet fever was dangerous for pregnant people?

Zyla I would go induction first. I was induced and I didn't find it bad at all. I was strapped down pretty much as had a heart monitor on but it was very quick! I will be opting for induction over CS this time too if I can as its much quicker healing time if I can avoid CS! I know sometimes it can't be helped but I think it's worth a try!

[ChatEnOeuf]

Tough Zyla. Probably I'd see what the cervix looks like, if favourable, try induction (gel). Go for section if unfavourable, big baby or if gel doesn't work. Yes, interventions are more common but not massively so. Mostly it is in first timers though. Having said that, I had a theoretical agreement with my consultant last time around for a due date induction. We didn't need it, but it was nice to know.

DD told all the teachers at school that I had a baby in my tummy today. Here was me thinking she hadn't grasped the idea - teach me to under-estimate her!

[ChatEnOeuf]

Scarlet fever's not dangerous, it's a bog-standard strep infection. Slapped cheek, rubella, CMV, toxo, chicken pox...them's the ones to avoid (if you can).

[TheBooMonster]

zyla I was induced. I had the highest, tightest cervix in the world according to the grumbly midwife who had to get the pessary up where it needed to be and with induction from pessary to birth it took like 12 hours (though labour was precipitate because my cervix was pretty stubborn and refused to dilate). This time I might be induced again at 37 weeks and I'm all prepped and ready for it. I'd definitely say give the induction a go.

[laurenamium]

Ah lovely chat it's good she's excited! I think I was getting scarlet fever muddled with slapped cheek!

[ZylaB]

Thank you for the input! It's so nice having people with more experience to talk to :)

chat am I right in thinking that the gel just sets off an almost normal labour if it works, and the drip is the hard contractions?

[Leela5]

That's so sweet chat!

Zyla I'm afraid my knowledge on induction / cs is not great so I can't offer anything extra. However I would always be in favour of going with whatever you feel comfortable with. So if you'd rather not have CS and doctors think induction will not harm you or baby then go with your gut feeling. It would be different if they were advising against something and you decide to ignore their advice.

Yes popz - particularly from lunch time I am pretty bumpy. It's all in uterus area and solid. My clothes don't seem to be hiding it very well so people are starting to notice. I even had big thick woolly loose jumper dress on today and bump was evident. My friend at work said she was the same by my point. If I'm sitting at desk it touches the desk! I'm quite small so I think that makes it more obvious. I don't mind as long as it evens out later and it doesn't mean I'm going to be huge!!!

[Leela5]

Thank you for the tea lil! I'll make you some later on when you're upduffed xxx

[cookielove]

Hello all :)

[Indigoblue2]

Well I've no personal experience but my feeling at the moment is that I would refuse to be induced if everything was looking fine (no complications, blood pressure worries, any of that stuff). I've just heard too many bad stories about induction. I know this isn't remotely scientific as the number of birth stories I've heard is relatively small, and I could have just not met/known the people whose inductions go well! I've read the drip contractions are stronger from the start, more painful, and don't build up the same way as normal contractions, therefore the baby is more likely to get stressed, hence the higher rate of EMCS. I think the is also a higher rate of women having an epidural with an induction too. Although it obviously totally depends on the individual and how they feel about it. I totally agree with ness, I get a bit annoyed with hearing that friends have been told they are "due to be induced on ..." as if they have no say in the matter. I think for me, I would want to be convinced why it was genuinely less safe to continue the pregnancy and warrant an induction. Seems it's just standard procedure and timescale rather than individual need?

[Leela5]

Does anyone have handy a list of essential baby stuff? I was going to look online but figured one of you is bound to have one!

I'm not buying anything for a while as I don't want to tempt fate but I'd like to start costing.

Feel free to laugh at my naivety but in my head I need the following:

Car seat
Bedroom set (cot, drawers, changing table, nursing chair)
Something for baby to sleep in in my room - bednest?
Nappies - do you recommend buying all newborns or a selection? I was thinking of starting to buy a packet a week. How many do you go through per month do you think?
Muslins, bibs, babygrows, sleep suits, socks (awwwwww!!!!)
Tonnes of wipes, sudacreme, infacol, powder(? - safe to use?), cotton buds etc
Bottles
Steriliser
Breast pump
Boob pads
Bottle warmer (needed if breast feeding which hopefully I will be?)
Sterilising stuff (no idea what...Milton?)
Baby bath, baby soap/shampoo
Big fat pads for padding La's post-labour foof
Car seat
Buggy / travel system (still to research the difference)
Baby monitor
Mobile
Essential stuff (not essential I just want them) like Sophie le giraffe, the thing that looks like inside of womb and helps them sleep (forgotten name)
Nursery decorations like stickers
Bed clothes - sleeping bag

Not too bad for off top of my head!

Right - what did I miss or get wrong? Go!

[Leela5]

The sheep! That's what the sleep thing is!

[Indigoblue2]

la don't look at me - I've no fecking idea!!

Btw my edd is 12th August

[ZylaB]

indigo I know it will be better for me to have the baby instead of waiting, because of diabetics' issues with placenta failure/degradation in late pregnancy, I've just got to decide what I'm happy with and how I want to do it :)

[Leela5]

I just compared it against mothercares list and I don't think I did too badly! A few things missed off, mainly for me like nursing bras etc

[Leela5]

When do you need to decide zyla?

[Cymraes17]

La
There is a yellow cream for sore bottoms thats really good, can't remember the name though meatnium??
With the 3 i bought a cold water steriliser with milton tabs, to be used with medela calma bottles (they are supposed to mimic breast feeding in that they have so suck to get milk, it doesnt just drip out) and had a small electric medela pump. (Didnt use a bottle at all with eldest 2)
Muslins are so handy, we have quite a collection by now.
Burts bees baby stuff is lovely, they smell delicious.
Ive found tommy tipee breast pads the best, some of the others felt prickly against tender boobage!
You will need at least 8 nappies a day for first few weeks, and plenty of spare vests and pjs in case of leakage (poo or not).
The list is endless! But people find different things work for them.

[ZylaB]

la I don't think powder is used any more for baby bums :)

List looks pretty good to me, maybe need somewhere to put baby during the day, so Moses basket and a bouncer/swing so you can put them down and do stuff like shower or eat! I don't think you need bottle warmer if breast feeding?

I've read lots of people recommend Lanisoh for nipples when bf!
And a bf cushion thing to make life comfiest, my SIL swore by hers!
Uhm.... Little nail clippers/scissors for nails?

Can't think of anything else!

Oh, blankets and maybe a baby gym/ thing for lying on the floor looking at to use for tummy time a little after too.

[ZylaB]

There's no rush for decision la but I always feel happier when I've planned in my head?,