December- The Final Countdown!!!!

[Calmriver]

HI Guys, I am still confused, so please join me on this one.

If its a regular ante-natale I think my GP or MW would just update my details on screen. If it was to the OB then after my visit to him the other day I gues he would chuck me out of his ofice calling me a stupid woman! However have never forgotten them so this is only a guess.

Hi Jabber, we keep our notes with us here. I suppose it's in case you have an emergency/go into labour away from home and also helps keep hospital admin down. I had the shivering post-op (and vomitting) very badly with my 1st. They didn't have my old notes for my 2nd (different hospital) but I told them about my reaction to the epidural and they were very careful. My bp did drop dramatically but at least I wasn't spewing and shaking!!

VM, that's lovely about the names for your LO. My DH suggested my DM's name (that she doesn't use) once if we had a girl and he can't stand her Bless 'em.

x-posts! If you forget your notes you'd probably get a bollocking! You basicially DON'T forget them, even I manage to remember them

Yep, had the vomiting too. I even threw up the anti-nausea meds

Oh don't Jabber! I really can't stand the thought of all that spewing again!! I mean where does it come from when you haven't eaten for 24 hours?!?

I know!!! Totally bizarre. I don't think I had eaten in almost two days

Are we meant to carry our notes everywhere? Mine would not tell anyone anything. The only times there's actually anything wrong, e.g. low iron levels or lost blood test results (grrr), they don't put it in there, I just get a phone call.

My appetite is enormous and varied. It's unbelievable how much food I can get through. Eating starbucks apple and cinnamon muffin as we speak. This is after the world's biggest bowl of shreddies earlier.

Oh dear, I have no idea how to change a nappy. Don't the packets have instructions on? ;)

I feel much more human today. Could this be the iron tablets I started on saturday?

Good luck with the move, Carameli. Make sure you take it really easy! I kind of wore myself out, even though I intended to do nothing. So be careful.

Eli, shall we support each other doing the reusables thing? I'm a bit nervous about it too, but determined to do it (decided nearly to buy wambamboos, but still to get the nappy lady to come to my house to show me diff.kinds). I thought I might get some disposables for 1st 2 weeks tho with all that meconium urgggh. Bfeeding is really starting to worry me, I struggled hugely last time, only lasted 10 weeks. Inverted nipples, HUGE breasts, never did it in public etc I do not see how you can hide the latching on thing when you need 3 cushions and a nipple shield. A nursing top or 2 might be v.useful, jabber, I was going to try some as well this time, have spotted a few on ebay.
All those first-timers, I really hope we're not putting you off or being scary. It is sooo different the first time round, and I got v.nervous with people telling me about their bad experiences.
Interested to hear about how to resolve the epidural shaking business as I couldn't hold ds after my section because of it. Spoke to anaesthatist last week (in case I have to have 2nd section) but we didn't get v.far. Is there a solution as desperate to hold this baby (I didn't hold ds until 2 hours after the birth).

I'm 32 weeks now, I only take my notes when I've got a m/w appointment. There's nothing on there anyway & if someone gives me a bollocking, I'll claim pg brain...

AQ, I just told anaesthatist who did my epidural 2nd time round about my previous reaction and they must have done something (dunno what though). As I said in earlier post, wasn't sick or shaking with no.2 but still low bp which they monitor so not really a problem. I do go deathly pale (pale at the best of times) and I remember the sweet m/w slapping vaseline on my lips as they went all cracked and white post op. Nice!

Yes, 1st timers, please don't be put off (bit late now ) by all these horror stories. I am a bit of a freak case and nearly everyone I know in RL has had "normal" VB I'm just amazed to come across others who have had or are having similar problems.

AQ, Eli, can I join in with the resuseable thing? Our coucil has a nappy officer (no laughing) and I have e-mailed them for infomration about what's avialable and I know they give you different types to trial as well.

I also threw up this moring - I think due to a cold that I've got off DD. But have come in to work today and everyone has commented how pale I look....watch this space - have been avoiding my iron tablets for about 10 days - perhaps I better take some again

Hi-can I ask how many mgs(or whatever) of Iron are in your Iron supplements? My doctor says I don't need them but I've always had problems with Iron levels(being veggie) and I'm convinced they'd help me lose this zombie feeling.

Loulou-I'm with you on the nappy business. I have NO idea how to change a nappy, give baby a bath, hold her correctly etc etc. Panic! I have spent too much time on Ebay looking at prices of Tripp Trapps and not enough time reading up!
At 34 weeks, it just seems more important (and easier) to use up what little energy I have on putting together the hospital bag-lol!

Anna, I think mine are 40mg. But I am at work and not looking at the packet. I know it's 1 a day to avoid anemia and up to 3 a-day to treat it. When I first got them I was told to take 3 a-day!!

On the nappies thing, I did terries with DS1 and will be doing it again. Its quite easy really once you get going, although would agree you should use disposables for the first week or so because of (i) meconium and (ii) general exhaustion. I got a great system going though, with two nappy buckets (def. need lids!) going in the corner of the room and about 30 terries plus wraps. Didn't get any probs with nappy rash either, which can be a side effect of terries. Would recommend using disposables (can get biodegradables) at tnight though, as material nappies get very soggy and tend to wake the baby up, which can cause a near breakdown when you're shattered already!

Ooh - can I join in the reusables as well? I wanted to do this with DD, but DH thought it might be too much work for me . This time round I have a huge stack, some new, some second hand, all different types and brands. I've even been practicing putting them on DD's big dolls (whilst pretending that we're playing a 'mummy' game, obviously!)
Friends who have done the reusable thing say its dead easy once you get used to it, particularly with the flushable inserts. And it will give me something on my DM who thinks that all modern mums are dead lazy - if she could do it way back when then so can I!

DH is unsure of reuseable - I am sure he think he will have to come in too close contact with the contents of a dirty nappy

However I intend to bring him round.

I think there was some discussion of reusable nappies along the same lines about 3000 messages ago & we were all going to egg each other on. I may need some egging, I own one motherease & one wrap at present! But I'm really keen on those cute fleece wraps so that's a motivation - for dp as well. Seems like sorting out a system beforehand will help, but clearly a few of us have done it before & there's a very active cloth nappy brigade too!
Castles, I was shaking really badly with ds1 & nauseous, they think it was cos epidural had to go in so fast for the op as it was emergency. I thought jabber said something about demerol but I can't remember back that far.

I thought I might get a few all in ones to ease dp into it, he looked quite shocked when I suggested he might have to wash some of them & scrape poo off. Dunno about terries though, judemum, sounds like too much hard work!!!

terries are more work I think, (but cheaper and easier to dry) but it does give a great feeling of satisfaction when they are blowing on the washing line on a summer's day. That is, unless you have some dodgy ones with stains on, then its just embarassing.

On the flip side, I have been on the enviro-mum's hitlist since switching to the evil pampers when I returned to work, 'cos it was all too much hassle. Oh well, you just have to do your bit I suppose!

Anna, I take 100mg of iron and femmevit folico which i guess also has iron but i can't find the box! The dr prescribed as a matter of course, I went private initially, centro de salud prescribed yoda, which he didn't but as it was already in the femmevit i didn't bother.

Oh no - if I tell DH he has to scrape poo off there is no way he agree to reuseables. I'll just have tell him to put the liner down the toilet and put the nappy in a bucket for me to wash!

DH touching poo - willingly - dont make me laugh - never in a million years. Just hope he never reads your comment AQ

It might have been Yodo, I might be getting mixed up with star wars

Annaspanner (love the name) I think my iron tablets are 20 whatevers, twice a day. I got them over the counter while I waited and waited for my prescription, which turned out to be for the same level.

I'm hoping the whole nappy / bathing / holding thing will become clear when I have an actual baby in front of me. It's not like I can really practise. :-|

I want to do reusables too, but have decided to do disposables for a few weeks while I get my head around everything.

Afternoon y'all

I've just picked up on the re-usable thing, can I just encourage everyone to try them - they are fantastic....
My sister used a brand called Bambino Mio whereby you have an inside disposable lining which you literally just flush away and 100% biodegrades, then a soft muslin nappy with a lovely cotton cover which you just pop closed and can use again until it gets dirty. My nephew never suffered from nappy rash or anything and potty training was so much easier. A few of my friends have had similar experiences.

Sorry don't mean to sound over enthusiastic about this but if you are in two minds about doing it I really recommend that you try

xx

hi - you probably already know this but you can get free samples of eco-disposables (the ones judesmum mentioned - biodegradable) from www.spiritofnature.co.uk. The brands are Moltex and Bambo, I think. They sent me 2 newborn sample nappies (then I got them to send two to my mum's address, is that cheeky?) They're not that much more expensive than normal disposables I think. Especially if you buy in bulk.

And you can buy Nature Boy from Ocado /Waitrose which is what we'll probably do - have heard good reports from friends.

I have been buying a few cloth nappies and wraps from ebay so have a nice little collection. I think I will try to use them when it's just me and baby at home, but we'll see!!! (We don't have a tumbledrier and not much space for nappy bucket etc). I like playing with them. Don't think dp will go for it though!

you guys write so much I can never really catch up but hope you are all well. Saw a friend whose baby is 10 days old today, AAAHHHHH how cute! made me v excited. not long to go now. Take it easy, love indiemummy (due 9 Dec) xxx