Avoiding accidental golden showers and unsolicited bump touching while enjoying the gamble of the poo-lottery and apparently getting more massive by the day - JSer grads 31!

[DulcetMoans]

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 31st 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 49th outing. WARNING: they're all a bit kerazy not to mention randy!

There is also a Just Mumming thread here for once your babies come along, or to keep up with the graduated graduates!

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!

Here is the stats list, please update your own spot with any updates: Stats

jelly I'm with you too! I've chosen a MLU that doesn't offer epidurals, which I may regret! But I'm planning a g&a and water situation, don't really want anything else but aware I've never been in labour before and may change my mind. But I'm going into it hoping for no drugs. Of course it depends on the labour you have and how things pan out.

tee thanks for the birth story - I loved it!!! Well done girl!! And Mr tee turned out to be a total champ, how lovely is that that you could so depend on him. Sounds like you are healing and coping really well with the whole post birth thing. Is it mental being a mother after all these months of wondering and discussing?? How's the boobing going? Are you lansinoh'd up to fuck?

No danger of Mr indigo being squeamish at the birth, the bugger has his hands up cows' fannies all the time, roots around in afterbirth and generally stinks of amniotic fluid. He's a proper minker

I'd love to have a drug free birth but honestly, I am going to be consultant lead anyway, so will happily have whatever I need. I know there's the "we're designed for this" school of thought, but my reproductive system is not normal so I am not going to rule anything out

give me the drugs

Lol indigo what an image!

I ended up with an epi last time but I didn't really make the choice myself so hoping to keep moving next time as that massively helped me.

Wow I'm glad a few of you agree with me. When I voiced my thoughts to some colleagues once I thought they were going to throw me out of the taxi we were in!

Evening Viroids

I am picturing a lovely hypnowateebirthearthmotherjob and focusing on this. I would prefer not to have drugs based solely on the statistics that show less intervention etc (I do not want any forceps going up my fanny!) However, if I do need it I have no problem whatsoever with having drugs. A whole entire human is going to come out of my hooha. For me, the most important thing is to feel in control, so there is a bit of a toss up between not losing control due to unmanageable pain, and not being in control because I am mashed off my face of pethidine etc (I think this is the thing that scares me the most). I did read a 'funniest thing that happened in labour' thread though which made me quite fancy a go on the g&a, sounds like a right laugh, and I also feel that I can control that by stopping using it if I need to focus etc.

Having said all that I will be going for the MLU all going well so g&a the only option. But my Dad is a hypnotherapist and I have experienced hypnotherapy for pain management before so I know it is effective. Fingers crossed!

Sorry, can't remember who asked about Eris but thank you. She is doing okay (I think!) She is eating kitten meat if I hand feed her and then I'm topping her up with kitten milk. She is just so tiny. I worry about my cats so much that I have no idea how I will cope with a baby!

Ooh Fleur, getting exciting for you now!

jelly - I'm surprised by your colleagues' reactions. The trend in the UK at the moment seems very much geared towards natural birth. Like with this current trend of "hypnobirthing". I've even had friends tripping over themselves to justify their epidurals as if it were something to apologise for

I love the medicalised aspect of it over here - it's exactly what I want!! The only thing I don't want is an episiotomy, which I'll have to tell DH to be super viligant about because apparently dr's are obsessed with them. No knives near the fanjo please!!!

I get it too Jelly - I think it's such a personal thing and no one should be judged for their choices.

I'm going to mummynatal classes to prepare me in case I do go into labour before my c section date.
I hope the section will be a spinal or epidural. I'm not against them in labour either.
I think what I'm trying to say is that I'm preparing for all options and being open minded. I don't fancy pethidine though

In other news it would appear my bargain cotbed is in fact a cot and the mattress doesn't fit. I'm fuming and emailed the seller saying I want to return it for a refund. So far no reply - no surprise there. So we now need to buy a cotbed and sell a cot! I had a meltdown earlier about it and the baby shower.

Mum thinks the reason I had Toni's is because I got so worked up. Regardless I need to calm the fk down or I'll be raising my BP

I didn't get mashed from the pethidine. It didn't make a dent in the pain and I only said stupid things because I didn't know any better. Maybe it just didn't work for me?
Like Mr indigo Mr gaggia is quite at home dragging a baby animal out of a beasts fanjo. There's nothing he hasn't seen.

Evening. Today is the first day that my boobs have been sore. I think it was exacerbated by aquarobics this morning. I need a more supportive swimsuit, but aren't "maternity" ones all without underwiring, like my current ones. Should I get a wired swimsuit? Will I regret it? My boobs are 38F at the moment. Should I get it bigger? How much bigger? Argh!

I don't know what I want in terms of a birth plan. I am the control freak's control freak, and can't work out if i am more scared of losing control due to the drugs or to pain. Was good to hear how mr tee stepped up during the labour - i have no real idea how dh will react. He doesn't really want to be there at all - he said that given the choice, he'd rather not be there, but would if i wanted him to be there. Tbh, I'd rather not be there either!
so i don't know what to do - tell him to stand down and ask my mum instead? Or stick with him there and hope that he is of some use on the day? Wibble.

Deeply can you not have DH and DM? I plan on having DH and BFF, as DH isn't great in a crisis and isn't an expert conversationalist. So loooong hours in early labour would drag as he'd run out of things to say and I don't imagine I will be especially witty at the time either.

deeply just take your mam, if your H doesn't want to be there its his loss. In practical terms how much help would he be to you anyway? Would your mam be a more calming, supportive presence? Who is more able to advocate for you? Dont wibble. You can totally do this with the person or persons of your choice.
When I had DD having her dad with me didn't make a bit of difference. I could have easily done it without him bar drive myself to the hospital in labour.

It's the statistics on intervention that's put me off drugs too pud - if I hadn't read about how the stats change then I would be happy to have a more medicalised birth.

pud on G&A apparently I hissed at OH with venom "what did you do to me?" And then fell about giggling. And then I had this overwhelming sense of De ja vu.

deeply I would say yes to having DM there with or without DH, I did! Glad too as apparently my mum had to shout at him to wrap the naked baby up and to hold him to his chest

gouda I had an episiotomy and bad tearing (won't go into details as no one needs to be scared!) And it's the E that caused the most problems.

Deeply the only drug I think makes you lose control is the pethidine. Everything else is fine. Not going to lie, I did freak out with the pain of crowning second time round, but it's relatively short-lived. I think the best birth plan is to be flexible and roll with the situation. Definitely have whoever would help you the most there. I think your DH might regret not being there, although everyone's different.

Morning everyone! Have just come to after a surprisingly nice sleep to realise it's only 5:45! Oh well!

Got contractors arriving at 8:30 to do that bloody window at last! Really hope they are quick. I want to go out a bit - it's my birthday today so I don't want to be stuck in the house all day with builders.

Ok so having just been through 6 months of antenatal classes and written birth plan:

Yes school of thought here is more on natural birth than drugs at the moment, but not because they are trying to be airy fairy - it's because I think previously women didnt think they had a choice and epidural was the obvious option.

The school of thought I've been taught right through is that the drugs are there if you want them but that there are other options to explore of you want to help you cope, such as hypnobirthing, Daisy breathing, gas and air, water birth. They gave me info about all of it and I've made up my own mind.

I'm an animal biologist and the whole lying on back pushing baby out sideways makes no logical sense to me. I want to be as mobile as possible and use gravity and movement to help, so I've put down that I don't want an epidural for that reason (plus I just don't like the idea of a needle in my spinal cord). Warm water is a natural painkiller so I want to use the pool and gas and air for as long as possible.

If on the day it doesn't go according to plan I'm completely flexible and have said I just want baby out safely.

But my plan is:
Early labour - tens, Daisy breathing, g&a
Then later Daisy, g&a, pool

I don't want pethidine and I don't want an epidural

Fleur - are you me again? I also had a colourful youth or rather 20s. I'm already familiar with the effects of g&a so am quite looking forward to that bit!! But otherwise I want to go drug free.

What I've been taught right through is that the nhs are trying to change this attitude that's developed of labour being hidden away and terrifying (from TV shows and films) and help women understand how they can help themselves and see it as a more positive experience.

I'm all for that tbh - we are animals and I think we've forgotten how to listen to our bodies.

My thinking has been get all the info on all the choices and make an informed decision, then remember things don't always go to plan and be flexible.

Ok and can I please have some advice and comparison? Other ladies 37 weeks plus, or who've been through this bit. I'm getting pains - in my back like period pain, underneath and up the sides of my bump like aching. I've just rolled over in bed and it really hurts. Went to NCT meet up earlier and had to leave because of it. I'm fine when I sit down normally. Yesterday in aldi I was getting stabbing pains in lower bump.

Have I just overdone it? Or is this baby starting to think about coming out and everyone gets this towards the end?

Ps I really don't want baby to come on my birthday!

Morning all, I've read back on the news but don't have time to post much as have to get up for work.
Just to say congrats Cym!! Well done on your gorgeous baby!
And happy birthday La! Have a lovely day!

Just don't put yourselves under too much pressure to go natural - my friend had a baby in Feb and she was so determined she would have no drugs at all - and she ended up begging for an epidural and then had an emergency c section. But then afterwards she felt so disappointed with the birth and almost a bit traumatised because it was everything she hadn't wanted and she had been so sure she would be able to manage it. So if you want to go natural then great but just don't put unnecessary pressure on yourselves if it doesn't happen, you should be proud of yourselves however the baby comes out.

Happy Birthday La! Have a fabulous day. I misread "contractor" as "contractions", I'm not sure which one sounds the least enjoyable way to spend your day!

Has MrLa got anything planned?

Deeply why don't you wait and see what dh is like after he's been to some antenatal classes? They might help him to feel more comfortable about what to expect.

Happy Birthday la! What are you going to get up to?? I have had period type aches but nothing to cause me to leave an event or anything. Why did it hurt rolling over?

I've also chosen a birth centre where the most you can have is pethidine with the intention being I will use the pool and G&A and see where it goes from there. It's my preference but with the understanding that really I won't have much control so whatever happens, happens.

I agree that antenatal classes did help DH here deeply. Not that he didn't want to go, but he understood what to expect and actually learnt a lot. Will you take him to any?

Not sure what you can do about bras honey, those babies be massive anyway but will likely get bigger or at least change shape. With swimwear I just got two sizes bigger for these later stages and it wasn't under wired. It's not really something you can try before you buy so keep it cheap!

Happy birthday la. Stay in minila!

deeply I felt the same about my DH in the early weeks. He is not the most assertive of people - he would see someone in a uniform and nod along with whatever they said.

However, after being to nct classes and reading a couple of books he is really, really on board. He has been fab (so far!).

As much as I love my DM I can imagine the text to family and friends " Fleur's baby was born today, she swore like a trooper and required 10 stitches.... Oh and the baby weighed...."
At least with DH I am safe in the knowledge what goes on in the delivery room stays in the delivery room.

honey I have found maternity swimsuits really unsupportive and I have small boobs. I am not entirely sure what the manufacturers are thinking but even my speedo swimsuit has a little bow on it I am pregnant and therefore I need to look pretty??? It's odd!
Good luck with your quest. I would be tempted to sew a bra into a normal one.

Another busy day of leave swimming, hospital appointment, lunch with my dad, popping round a friend's house (she has made me a blackout blind for the baby's room) and then yoga.

I could start to get used to this!