April 2015 Thread 13: The babies are creeping in one by one and the gardens really need seeing to!

[TheBooMonster]

Welcome to the 13th April 2015 babies thread!

The stats thread is here and we have a handy spreadsheet here

If anyone wants to join the FB group who hasn’t already, PM me your email address and I’ll send you an invite!

We’re in the home stretch ladies, we've had the first baby, how many more threads can we manage before the last baby is here?

misty I've got a mixture of nursing tops from Jojo, Mothercare and Mama's & Papa's. The M&P ones are quite thin, and they're the type that have the long pieces that wrap round and tie at the back they're about right sidewise though a bit big I've had them since round about when I gave birth to DD, and the Mothercare ones have like a v-kneck with a lift up panel, they're a bit on the snug side and thicker, they've lasted really well though, as I was wearing them in pregnancy with DD who's now 2 and I never really stopped wearing them afterwards as they're so comfy. The JoJo one's are in the middle thickness wise and do measure a little small they're more like the mother care ones in style, I've got a small and a medium and the small fits surprisingly well given that I now seem to be a 14/16 they're newer, I've onlyhad them a couple of months, but they're looking like they wash pretty well, they're not prone to the Mothercare shrinkage!

Happy Mother's Day everyone Sounds like you've all had a lovely day. I've read most of the posts but I'm about to have dinner so will catch up properly afterwards.

No Mother's Day card for me I'm afraid, although I didn't expect one so not too much to be missed! I suppose he's not really 'into' that until baby is here. Everyone's different I suppose, oh well!

Have been sorting out the flat instead.
Got other half to pack away a table that has needed doing for weeks, but as expected he got stressy, probably because he can't see the flat how I do in my mind, because at the minute it's still a mess. So he sees the mess, whereas I'm trying to see past it and to how I want it to look. If that makes any sense?
So I told him to leave everything and I'll do it instead, and instantly felt much calmer because I can work at my own pace! (Which at the minute, is very slow).

Growth scan on Tuesday. Thankfully the weekend has gone quite fast, so just Monday to get through now

Eek. Think have over done it today. Moving furniture about had a couple spots of blood from somewhere so just resting up now. Bump has been wriggling after some icy water and some spicy paella so hope he's ok!

Oh dear brum hopefully it nothing or it could be a bit of plug. Try to rest and hopefully everything will stay put.

misty jojo are pretty good about returns when you order online, I'd got a small and a medium with the intention of taking back the one that didn't fit and I could've done that instore, but as it is they were so comfy that I just kept them both!

Sorry your dd reacted badly to being left LondonLivvy, it's tough when they don't behave how you'd like/expect. If it helps my labour was much shorter with ds2 than ds1, she will be ok I'm sure kids can sense when things are important.

Can't advise on prelabour daholster as I never had any twinges or any signs of impending labour with either of my boys, definitely worth mentioning though as to whether it's something to do with labour or you anatomy.

I didn't bother with nursing tops Misty414, just lifted my top up and had baby laying across my tummy so they hid pretty much everything. If you find you prefer rugby hold you think about it then. Some people just have a vest under a top, vest goes down and top goes up, although it might get warm in the summer.

Sounds fantastic BrixtonBunny!

Hope it's nothing serious Brummagem! Glad you're restingg and baby is moving well

Helloo all!
I've been away for weekend out of WiFi and have not yet read back, congrats on any births I've missed!
I just wanted to write a quick rambling post about movements/reduced fetal movements because speaking to my MWmiL reassured me loads and wanted to pass that on to anyone who like me, is prone to be anxious.

Basically the NHS is trying to get the message out there that you should be aware of your baby's movements, because in cases of still birth they were finding some women hadn't felt their baby move in 24hrs and hadn't presented themselves. But what they are finding now is that because "reduced movement" is so subjective many women are needlessly self referring for checks and in some cases ending up induce early or C sections ( due to protocols of self referring so many times) when their pregnancy is actually healthy.
Movements can and do slow after 32 weeks, you won't feel every one of your baby's movements and it can be quite erratic, you don't generally need to worry about lack of oxygen from placenta until you go past your date.

I just found it all very helpful and reassuring, because I tend to worry A LOT and then feel silly for worrying, she says her hosp is FULL of women constantly worried about movements and they are all FINE.

Anyway will get back to reading through the pages seeing what goes I've missed xxxx

So hard to know what to do about care for DD when in labour, I'm tying myself up in knots. in some ways I'd rather give birth alone and know that DD was with her dad. But I know that he wants to support me. My sister lives 20 mins away. in an ideal world, if things kicked off during the night she could come round and stay at ours and just wake dd up in the morning and take her back to her house for the day(s) until dd2 arrive. But she hasn't offered. argh. A good friend who lives down the road has offered to come round during the night and then maybe my sister could take over later (but would a change of lookers-after be worse?). Also said friend is away on holiday during due date week. We have a neighbour who could come round and sleep here but DD doesn't know her that well so I'm not sure how that'd go down. argh.

Last time my contractions started 9pm sat night, all night sat regular contractions (though sore, not excruciating). Off on all day Sunday. Waters broke 2am Monday morning. went in, only 2cm so sent home. Went back at 530am and was 4cm so allowed to stay. DD took until 5pm to finally be born!!! DD was back to back which didn't help. So hopefully I'm looking for childcare for 12 hours rather than 48...

Thanks for the reassurance smogs and cinnamon that it hopefully won't be as long this time.

You're right, daholster it's so hard to decipher small kids' emotions. DD is 2.5 and though she's really good at talking, sometimes I don't think she even knows what's bothering her so she can't say 'I'm sad because x or y'. she can just cry and hit me. She refused to let me touch her, kiss her or cuddle her right until bedtime. She was fine with DH. I suspect because he goes away all the time (to work, on work trips etc) she doesn't take it personally whereas my absence felt like abandonment. How do I help her feel reassured? and loved in the context of knowing I'm going to have to leave her again, quite soon, for a protracted period? (genuine question BTW).

The reassurance comes from your return, whenever you leave her and her not being able to push you away even when she's kicking off at you. That although her behaviour isn't ok just because she's sad you still love her. Personally in your situation I would ask your sister as she may not want to offer and intrude on your plans? She's obviously happy to have her as she did this weekend but may think you would ask if you wanted her. Re labour I'd have been a wreck with Dh honestly plus it's his baby too and totally should be there when the baby arrives if he wants to. It is only a short time and dd will cope with it when the time comes. Mine was significantly shorter induced at 9pm (and contractions started quickly) weds eve and ds1 was born at 11.20am fri. Ds2 was induced at 9am and he was born 5.30pm, so really very much shorter. So sorry you're havinng to worry about this.

Hi everyone, some great discussions on here and very exciting to see some April babies arriving early in healthy fashion...

Question for everyone, has anyone else had an emergency c with their first born? If yes what are your birth plans for the second, trying natural or booking in? Just curious...

I'm 35+4 now and have a scan on Friday to discuss things!

Well it seems to have settled. Dh is a bit disappointed, it would have made life easier to go into labour while he is here. To get back from Edinburgh at short notice will take minimum of about 5 hours if the flights are right. And there are no flights after 8pm

I'm a bit worried that he can't get down for whatever reason. There are many attempts, with fanny daggers that make me shout, pressures on my bum, then he ends up v high and painful under my ribs again.

Midwife on Wednesday. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Btw "term" is 37-40 weeks. So birth from 37 weeks is normal.

Think it was smogs who asked - I had dd at 39+5 so perfectly timed

Glad everything has eased off daholster. Hope you continue to feel more comfortable tonight.

Hi all, am finally on the post natal ward with our little lady (will name her on FB group but don't want to out self on here) born today weighing 7lb 2 via forceps.
She's so cute and OH is besotted.
Congrats to your new arrival and look forward to sharing all our bitth stories as more and more babies arrive on this thread.
She won't latch on yet which is a bit sad. She plays around with the nipple and gets upset. She is having expressed colostrum.

Congrats above meant for Penguin

Wow chicken congratulations!

Feeding can take time don't worry, dd took about 48hrs to get anything at all from a boob herself and was cup fed expressed colostrum until then, try not to worry. Enjoy her

Congratulations Chicken and thanks
I have been having the same problem with latching on - midwives think might be due to diamorphine taking a while to get out of DDs system. I was feeding small amounts expressed too (like talking half a ml at a time!) but tonight she seems to be much better and has had 2 x 30min good latches and suckles. So fingers crossed for home tomorrow. I am so sore though so glad they have let DH stay again or don't know how I would manage. Don't want to put birth story on here but will do when we have somewhere where people don't have to read if they don't want to. (Although don't panic I would do it all again tomorrow to have her!!)

Hope everyone is managing ok. Daholster you poor thing you have so much going on at the moment. Glad things have settled but hope they don't end up starting when your DH is away.

London sorry you're worrying about your dd when you go into labour. I don't have anu experience to add but it sounds really difficult, personally I would probably want DH with me for support but I can totally see where you're coming from. Sounds like your sister might be best bet.

Brummagem hope you're ok after the bleeding.

misty I like the look of those tops you have linked to on h&m - might shamelessly copy you!

Hope you sleep well ladies.

Morning all, I haven't had time to read the full thread, but thanks for the well wishes.

My beautiful baby boy was born by c-section at 11.33pm on Friday 13th March, at 38+1, weighing 7lb11 oz. I tried everything from gas and air to the birthing pool but I started with contractions 3.5 mins apart at 4.30am and l wasn't really progressing so we made the decision to have a caeserian.

Whoever asked, I didn't really have any signs - back ache but near my shoulders for about a week, but otherwise than that just my waters going

Will now try to catch up with you all!

more babies!!! congratulations River and minipie.

Just heard that my sister is going away for Easter too. Excellent. looks like I'll end up alone this time if it's on/around d day.

Congratulations Chicken and River. Wow so many babies!!

Aww London, I hope you sort something out to put your mind at ease. Is it worth having the neighbour you mentioned over for tea or something so DD can meet them and get used to them if they are still an option?

Midwife appointment today, so asking about what happens if they are still tiny at the next scan and the low blood flow to the brain. It's the 34 week appointment - anyone think of anything else that I should be asking?

Morning ladies, more babies? It's barely halfway through march yet!

After dtd last night, DH confessed he's worried about getting depressed again after this one is born. His worrying/anxiety has already started and apparently been there for a few weeks before he came out with it last night. Feel a bit sorry for him as it's pretty much PND for men. There is little support from his GP as last time he basically got told to get on with it and be a man. (Not in those words obviously but they basically meant that.) I think he needs something for his general anxiety anyway as he's an over thinker and random ridiculous things pop in his head to worry about. He's just not very good at expressing himself if we go to the gp. Last time I felt like a pushy parent explaining things while he sat there quiet.

Just don't want to let him go on as he is if there is something we can do to help. Anyone else have any experience of this?

I've been getting backache between the shoulders. I don't know why but I thought it would be lower back pains rather than higher up. I suppose it's the weight putting extra strain on everything.

34 weeks today, can't believe another week has gone! Madness.

Congratulations RiverRocks!!!

Sorry you Dh is feeling like this Lauren82000, mine is struggling with stresses of work, car going wrong and me being in labour/hospital post baby but have suffered with depression once in his life he knows the signs and this is just stressing about what he can't control as he likes to plan so I'm sure in a few weeks when baby is here he'll be coping much better. Agree with Misty414 that it might be better to write it down before he goes in and maybe you don't go with him? Also because he suffered last time perhaps they will take him more seriously? Good luck with getting him sorted.

Brixton, that sounds like a lovely day.

Brum, really hope the bleeding stops and its nothing to worry about.

Daholster, glad you are more comfortable now. These babies are certainly keeping us on our toes.

Congratulations Chicken and Rivers. Hope you and your wee ones are doing well.

Lauren, can he maybe try finding some coping techniques online if the GP isn't very helpful. Maybe try mindfulness/CBT. My DH does yoga and he finds it really helps to de-stress.

Im having ridiculous cravings for pineapple. Quite excited as I've not really had any proper cravings. Also, old wives tale says that pineapple can bring on labour. Whoop!

Had random vomit yesterday and the day before. Not very happy about it especially since yesterday was a lovely steak dinner that I'd made for my mum. Felt really embarrassed having to excuse myself to puke.