Christmas crackers: due in December!

[Loulou000]

Maybe this will really be the last one... until the postnatal one.

HI All, had my scan today and consultant apt tomorrow. Baby is growing, but now it seems my waters are leaking!!! At my apt tomorrow they will decide whether to bring my date even closer too. Ooooh, it's all happening. Next week it's going to be KICKoff!!!

ooohh Calm!!! How exciting. So when is it all likely to happen?? Did you know your waters were leaking?

Has anyone started nesting yet?

With both my DS's it was a week before they arrived. DS1's nesting was cleaning, lots of bleach and flash! DS2 was more sprucing the place up, I decided to paint the hallway!

I've started taking more notice of the cleaning products in the supermarket, but haven't yet had the urge to do a big clean. (I'm enjoying sitting on my a*se too much )

WB, Blue Cohosh (herbal) and Caulophyllum (homeopathic) are the standards for inducing labour. Castor Oil is recommended too!!

Dunno about Natrum Muriaticum for PND/post natal issues specifically. It's a very common homeopathic remedy (salt) but like all these homeopathic remedies it won't do you any harm.

Calmriver, another one all set to go!! Good luck. I thought my waters were leaking last week (or week before) but seem to have stopped and as a tranny it would be constant so I am told so must have been something else. Incontinence ???

mumatuks- have been nesting for months. Its worn me (and DH) out. Think I need to do some sitting on my arse.

Castles- know what you mean. I was watching Dean Gaffney on I'm a Celebrity the Other night (yes I am a telly addict at the mo) and literally pissed myself laughing. Had to get changed, Not done that since I was a kid. But that's a propoer piss as opposed to ongoing tickle which it sounds like you had.

I think it is Caulophyllum that my accupuncturist has ordered for me

Magnolia - really pleased for you that your section has been bought forward - slightly too! As for the MW - are they the type who have already had kids or the young ones that dont know what the devil they are talking about and just recite the book at you?

Well I am the bad girl, I have chosen to ignore my specialist apt that's at 4.10 this afternoon. Was goin to phone and cancel, but MW said they work on a first come first serves basis anyway and apt time are just a guide so just dont show up!

DD helped wrap her comforter for bump this monring and has been brandishing it for most of the day saying she wants to give it to 'Toby'. perhaps I did it too early with her as I con't seem to get through that the baby may not be here a for a couple more weeks yet.

MIL however wil be here a week Saturday - goodbye privacy!

Thinking of changing name back to BaileysMilkshake .....

Calm as well - tis not fair

As for the stupid things DH's say, Mine was looking at the picture of an elephant in the womb in our classy newspaper and pointed to it at 20 months then said "20 months! makes what you're going through seem like nothing...." spoken like a true man!

NGB, my DP must have been watching the same programme! When i commented on how massive i felt he said "yes, i was watching this programme the other day about elephants....." NOT liking his line of thought!!!

Men are useless at tact, I'm sure sometimes they actually think what they say is demonstrating thier understanding - when actually it's just showing thier ignorance at our feelings

BTW have gone back to Milkshake name - much more comfortable

hee hee

funny about the tact issue. We were sitting flicking between the Chelsea and Liverpol matches last night and I said I was soooo glad this was our last pregnancy as I felt I'd been pregnant forever, plus that I was a bit nervous about labour again. He replies: "Huh easy for you , I had no pain relief for the 16 hours with DS"

He was chewing cushion for a good hour afterwards I think!

Nesting. Well, here's dh's male version: plumber in to fix shower pump (vital equipment, apparently, when imminently having baby). Plumber finds leak in hot water tank. DH pleased as punch because he's getting all these jobs done before baby gets here (not convinced they needed doing so urgently, but ok...) just got back to 'nest' to discover there is no hot water, no electricity upstairs, ladder on landing, tons of gear in bathroom, and baby's room looks like a bomb has hit it complete with plastic sheeting, tools, emptied airing cupboard, and general mess.

Oh, and plumber went out to find a 'part' and has been gone ages.

I thought I'd rant and rave and try to keep my bp stable here rather than do what I feel most like doing and screaming...though to be fair, dh is rather sorry now

Me, I've been nesting for weeks...along the lines of washing baby clothes though, not ripping boilers out!

Magnolia - hurrah!! And stuff the po faced MWs - bet they've never had spd. Well done for asking for what you wanted, you.

And Calm...exciting! We're all lining up like jets on a runway now...wonder how Lucy is getting on/got on today?

I still can't believe I'm having a baby tomorrow. Not sure what I think Bump is, but a baby?? Surely not

Castles, I'm at C&W - was last time too, and am happy with it mostly because I have such a nice OB looking after me. Not allowed MW led care, too risky apparently But most of my local friends are at/have been at Kingston and pretty much all of them have been very happy with it too.

Milkshake, I'm so glad you changed your name back - there was I (having missed tons of chat yesterday whilst agonizing over decisions) thinking you were a brand new poster

Sorry, one more (is this a record?!?) on the homeopathic front: I've got Bryonia and Belladonna to help minimize engorgement - on advice of b'feeding counsellor. And started my Arnica, a bit belatedly, today

wow good luck to all those having babies in the next few days, makes it so much more real when some of us start.

Castles, I too am going to be at Kingston but due date not until 17th.

Elibean, I know you are tomorrow but is it good to start taking arnica before labour? Had only ever heard about taking it during labour so would be glad of any advice that you know about???

Wow the LOs are going to start arriving in droves soon!

I fear my cleaning instinct, my sink has never looked so shiny! I may also be getting slightly too domesticated, spent my afternoon making candy canes and mint humbugs. Essay? What essay?

Eli- jealous of your Arnica, sooo good for healing but I'm allergic to it!

Carameli, not sure about labour - but of any operation, section included, its best to start 24-48 hours before. Did'nt know it was possible to be allergic to the stuff - thats bad luck, Indith!

And I envy you your shiny sink in return...

Good luck tomorrow Elibean

Yeah good luck tomorrow Eli - have got over my embarassment now...just just the odd blush here and there.

Not going to stay on here long now as I have terrbile lower back ache and period pain, and just feel strange all over.

Perhaps it's the rissotto I cooked for dinner. I used veg stock instead of chicken and cheddar instead of parmasm, and I think I gave me and DH salt poisioning - we dont normally have salt! DD was the smart one who took one mouthful asn asked from bread and butter instead!

Sorry, girls, I've to come on to have a damn good moan tonight.

Had my growth scan today, was a bit nervous in case they discovered something they hadn't spotted before but baby seems fine, just on the large side. Predicted weight at 40 weeks is about 9 - 9.5lbs so not that enormous, especially considering ds and dd were 8.5 lbers. Midwife doing the scan was lovely, kept trying to find a way of making baby smaller but didn't manage it - all the measurements were saying I ought to be 39 weeks!! I wasn't that bothered when she said 9lbs, but did ask how much bigger it could be if I went to 42 weeks as I'm pretty certain I will. 'We'll send you along to see the doctor' she says.

Well, an hour and 10 minutes later, I finally see a doctor who is blatently desparate to go on her lunch break and really isn't interested in anything I have to say. She asked how I was feeling and I explained I was finding it hard to get comfortable in any position because of the size of my bump and that I get very achy across the bottom of my bump by the end of the day. Her answer?

'Well, paracetamol is safe to take when you're pregnant. It won't cause any harm to the bay' .

I F**KING WELL KNOW THAT, THIS IS MY THIRD PREGNANCY YOU STUPID WOMAN, HOW IS PARACETAMOL GOING TO STOP MY HIPS GOING NUMB WHEN I LIE ON MY SIDE IN BED OR MAKE THE MUSCLE TWINGES IN MY BACK STOP WHEN I SIT DOWN?

I then made the mistake of asking what would happen if I went to 42 weeks again and how the size of the baby would affect my care.

'Well, there's no evidence to suggest that it's of any benefit to induce at 38 weeks if it's just a large baby so we don't do that'.

I WASN'T ASKING TO BE INDUCED AT 38 WEEKS, DORIS. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW YOU WOULD MONITOR ITS GROWTH AND IF IT MIGHT HAPPEN SLIGHTLY SOONER THAN 42 WEEKS IF IT SEEMED TO BE GETTING TOO HUGE.

Then the bloody woman had the cheek to write in my notes 'discussed reasons why induction at 38 weeks is not necessary' .

Two and a half hours of hanging around the antenantal clinic to be told stuff that I don't need to know and didn't ask but no answers to what I really want to know.

I felt really cross and tearful when I came out and I'm still now. I'm just so uncomfortable all the time now, I can't get comfortable in any position, I'm only 35 weeks and I've potentially got another 7 weeks of this to go, getting bigger every day. I honestly don't think I can take it for that long, I'm the size of a full term pregnancy now so what kind of ridiculous size will I be by 42 weeks? I'll be like the elephants Vanilla was talking about. I spend all day running round after 2 toddlers, I have to do a certain amount of lifting and carrying with dd, I'm having to kneel on the floor to change her nappy 4 or 5 times a day because if I do her on the sofa or changing unit she tries to throw herself off. Dh is at work from 7am to 5:30pm so the only break I get is an hour in the middle of the day when they're both asleep, I just don't know how I can do this for another 7 weeks. It seems like forever.

Where's the self pity emoticon on here?!

Drat, sorry Eli, should have said good luck and I will be thinking of you tomorrow before I started moaning! Am SO that you'll have your baby by this time tomorrow.

Oh poor you Olihan. 7 weeks does sound like a long time I know what it is like to be so uncomfortable, I have felt so pathetically unfit for weeks now. I nearly toppled over backwards today in the street!! Can you try some of the bringing on labour tricks like the homeopathy, nipple twiddling, castor oil?!? Sorry, not much help, just wanted to send you ((HUGS)).

Good luck tomorrow Elibean. You've probably packed your bag and gone to bed nice & early but will be thinking of you all day.

I checked on to see if there was any news about Lucy ...

Olihan I feel your pain, I'm having a small horse instead of a baby as well. I was released back to care of midwives at 34 weeks but my midwife isn't happy as I won't see the antenatal team til term + 2 days if I haven't had bubs by then. Currently bump measures 43 inches and I am like a balloon with legs so bless her, midwife got me an appointment for Tuesday to talk with team and discuss my options, if I get the same treatment as you I'll lamp em one for both of us cos I don't think I can handle another 17 nights (yes I'm counting) of no/very fractured sleep.

Big hugs from me.

Thanks, Castles, I need a bit of sympathy! I am going to try all the usual tricks from last time, plus acupuncture and anything homeopathic that might do the trick. You mentioned Caulophyllum - can you get that in Boots, how much do you need and how often do you take it?

Of all the usual old wives tales, the only one I haven't tried is the castor oil. MIL did it with dh but FIL says it left an oil slick in the loo for weeks - bleurgh .

DH is dreading me bringing out the breast pump to start the nipple stimulation, with dd I did it for an hour every night and it squeaks with every squeeze. Ds calls it my 'squeaking machine'! But needs must and all that. It didn't put me into labour with dd but it did mean I was 4cms dilated when I went for my induction, so not a complete waste of time.

I am seriously willing to try anything this time though, I do not want to still be pregnant on Jan 8th.