Due Jan '07 part 6: Santa baby, slip a baby under the tree for me (and save me the agony of labour!)

[2Happy]

Well it's one better than coal...

No word from ELM?
And good luck, EPM!

Sorry, no personals. ds unwell, poor pet, can't breathe, high temperature, glands the size of golf balls . So unwell I even still felt sorry for him as he wailed the night away [knackered emoticon!]. No doubt I'll go down with it next then, which gives me awful mental images of how snotty I'd be if I did go into labour early - pushing when you have a cold can't be pretty!

Can't believe I am awake again.
Didnt have any dinner due to heartburn, took 3 hours to get to sleep even though I am exhausted, then woke up at 2.30am starving. Just had a piece of toast....and guess what, half an hour later....I have f'ing heart burn again.
I AM NOT HAPPY.
Went xmas food shopping this weekend, brought lots of lovely things which I wont be able to eat. Then got home, dp took dinner out of the oven without oven gloves, burnt his fingers and slammed oven door shut so hard it broke.
So now we have no oven, and xmas is a week away.
It'll be toast and pasta...and gaviscon for me on xmas day!
fun.

Oh Lizzz that's not good. Biscuits and cheese for Christmas lunch... might save you some heartburn though!

I'm beginning to regret wishing this baby would arrive early. Been up half the night with ds, who now has sickness and diarrhoea on top of his cold, and am realising that waking up on someone else's terms seems to be more knackering than my own insomnia. No idea why - I haven't had a night's sleep in months, but am more tired this morning than ever. Oh well, it's not like this baby actually shows any sign of shifting soon!

Ok, am going to try some PMA - positive mental attitude here. My sister gave birth to twins last year, and willed them to come early by sitting on the sofa and just saying it over and over again. She popped at 34 weeks.
So, if I do the same maybe mine will come early too, and then this whole pregnancy thing will be over.
I cant imagine doing this again. Its not fun!
Please come early
Please come early
Please come early
Please come early
Please come early

Hello all I am back and still pregnant!!!

Went in yesterday morning on monior having mild contractions every 10 minutes, all fine was going to come home but they decided as was 36weeks best to stay put on antenatel ward. Then after half an hour I had a bright red bleed - cue registrar doing internal and saying think you have a nasty infection causing your uterus to contract, had swabs, bloods etc done SCBU informed and cot ready all set to go to theatre for emergency section when they then decide that baby is not in any distress and happily poodling along on monitor so decide I have to stay in for 24 hours on IV antibiotics. Dh had to re ring everyone and say baby not on way, in a way was dissapointed but also am only just 36 weeks so another week makes more sense. Had to wait till 4pm today for scan and ten allowed home.

Am now under consultant only care at hospital and have to go on friday and next wednesday they may pull my section date forward to the 27th dec or 2nd jan if they can't clear infection. Any more bleeding then straight in and doing a section that day so on tenterhooks now just don't want to be in hospital on xmas day so hoping can wait till next weds at the earliest.

Hope everyone else okay x

Hello all - blimey, it's quiet here today! Where is everyone? Xmas shopping or in labour?

Good to hear from you EPM, glad you're OK. Fingers crossed the infection clears up and you make it through xmas with no more bleeding.

Glad to hear you are OK EPM. Have been thinking about you.

HORMONAL POST I'M AFRAID

I feel really wrong way out today and don't really know why:

Feel like I want to cry - literally I'm sat at my desk at work biting my lip

Really really disappointed about my active birth class last night, it has done nothing to allay my fears about labour (of which, quite frankly, I am getting absolutely terrified). My friends went to one with a different midwife a couple of weeks ago and came away SO positive and thought it was fantastic. Ours just talked and didn't really show you positions or anything. The group was really quiet and miserable and no one apart from me asked any questions

Feel sick - getting this quite often at the mo, just general underlying nausea

My friend doing my head in ? keeps cancelling plans we have made when I could really do with a good girl to girl talk

Slept OK but still seem to feel tired every morning - I never feel refreshed anymore

Forgotten my glasses AGAIN so I can hardly see my computer screen and know I will end up with a headache by the end of the day

Came in, fax machine all paper jammed up which once again no one else in the office have even attempted to sort out so I did it because they are so f*cking useless and lazy

God I am pissed off. Want to lay in bed, cry and eat chocolate. Is this usual for 35 weeks??

Sorry.

wilkie, haven't much time ATM but whould it help to talk to someone who's been through it all already rather tahn an unhelpful MW??
do you have any friends with babies??

OK, they won't be able to answer medical questions but are much more likely to be honest with their answers.

YOu're welcome to CAT me if you want a mum of 3s perspective of labour and birth. Seriously, I mean that

And yes it is normal to feel totally and utterly pissed off at this stage!!

Hi LTH

Thank you - god you have nearly set me off already - biting lip hard!! Sorry for my ignorance but what does CAT mean?
xxx

Wilkie, Not only is it normal for you to want to eat chocolate and lie in bed it is positively the right thing to do. Go home and leave your useless colleagues to it, they will appreciate you even more. Urban is alright, haven't seen her since Sunday when we went shopping at Lidl's much to her dh's disgust.

Wilkie50 I didnt find those classes any good when having dd but talking to friends who had children helped loads the good and the bad stories helped and differenne views on drugs, posistions etc.

CAT means contact another talker, its at the top of the page you have to adjust your member profile to allow CATs and pay £5 to register you can then contact another MN via their personal email address.

When do you finish work I comletley understand how you are feeling and being at work doesnt help I worked till 37.5 weeks full time when having dd and cried every day the last week as like you felt I had to do everything. If you can you could go sick or ask you HR to bring your mat leave date forward. It will get better

EPM - leave work next Fri then working 4 days from home until 05/01/07 so only another 7 working days to go in the office. Wish I had finished a bit earlier but HR won't let me go - they said they need 4 weeks notice. Can't go off sick as it will affect my 90% maternity pay for the first six weeks.

Thanks for the CAT advice - do many people do this?

I do have friends with babies but their experiences are all so different and some are quite frankly terrifying. I can't believe I feel this way because I have been so positive about the birth up to now. I don't know what has changed it. Was in the assessment unit for a day about 3 weeks ago and realised I have a bit of a phobia about hospitals but don't feel comfortable enough to have a home birth for my first one.

Wilkie - "God I am pissed off. Want to lay in bed, cry and eat chocolate. Is this usual for 35 weeks?? " well it's normal for non-pg for me hee hee! Seriously, yes you're normal. You're entering the "if I manage to lift my head off the pillow I've achieved something today" phase of pregnancy. The last month is exhausting, mentally and physically. Carrying around this enormous belly, coping with the physical effects on your body, coping with the worry of what's ahead... Fear of the unknown is the most scary thing there is: no-one can tell you how your labour will be, so there's no one way to put your mind to rest. All we can do is tell you how it was when we did it, and hope it helps in any way. For my part, I can tell you I had a labour where lots of things went wrong and it was still an amazing experience. Your dh's job is to keep you calm, to ask questions about what's happening, let you concentrate on what you're doing! Find a way that he can relax you - be it massage, or telling you how you met, or just keeping his mouth shut and changing the music when the cd ends! You will get through it, and when you do you will have a gorgeous, snuggly baby with the cutest pudgy hands, and softest hair, and most amazing baby smell. And sod work, go home early, or at least sneak off to the loos and eat chocolate!

Hi guys very quick message, apologies for not coming on earlier but things have been a little stressful.

Arran Colin David was born on Thursday at 1:55pm after being induced on Wednesday at 9:00am. Gory details to follow later!

He was 34 +4 and weighed an amazing 5lbs! (goodness knows what he would have weighed at term) He was rushed to intensive care at Neo-natal as he had problems breathing. He is making excellent progress, and hopefully will progress to the not so intensive care room today. They are saying that he will probably be in hospital til up to his due date.

Sorry haven't had a chance to read posts but hope you are all well.
Love to everyone

ELM
xx

Many Congratulations ELM! Thanks for taking the time to update us, we've all been wondering!

Hope all goes well over the next few weeks for all of you xxx (Arran - lovely name btw )

Many congratulations ELM. Lovely lovely news. Keep us updated.

2Happy - thanks for that. Feeling a bit less hormonal now after my break. Am just so exhausted - I can't wait for mat leave to start(doesn't help that work have been completely and utterly unsupportive, no one in the office ever asks how things are going, how I'm feeling etc etc - they are all totally disinterested which is so unusual for an office of women. Mind you they are all older and don't like me cos I hold quite a high up position which means I get to deal with quite a lot of confidential stuff. Bless them. They are all bitter and twisted!)

xx

Many congrats ELM - lovely news and v happy all is well.

Wilkie - sad to hear you're going through sh*t at the minute. I really feel for you still being at work with unsupportive colleagues. I finished a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't imagine getting up in the dark and going to work full time (and I so admire everyone out there with other small people to care for). I loved 2Happy's advice about sneaking off for some rest and relaxation in the loo with chocolate!!

Hope everyone else is well. I'm sat here drinking rasperry tea (very bland and isn't doing the slightest bit - is it normal to be 37+ weeks and not even know if you've ever had BH contractions?).

Congratulations ELM. Looks like we are all having boys at the moment! Maybe we can set up a mumsnet football team in a few years time?

Wikie - My labour workshop was rubbish too. No one spoke to each other at all, and I think I was just about the only person asking questions (I have no shame about asking questions!) Then I had a breast feeding workshop a few days later & I was hoping to meet some people who were friendlier there...but no. As soon as the course was over they all left promptly. No telephone number swapping or anything. Not what I was expecting.
This is my first baby and obviously I am getting a little bit worried now (37.5 wks) but I keep telling myself:
a. people wouldnt do it over and over again if it was THAT bad (and not worth it in the end)
b. women in china give birth in paddy fields & then go straight back to work
c. women in africa give birth in the desert with no drugs

I just keep telling myself this, so it doesnt seem so bad.
Have you tried speaking to your midwife? Or is there a midwife helpline at your hospital you can call to chat to? Or Cow & Gate have sent me lots and lots of info. They have a helpline specifially set up to deal with worries and concerns which pregnant women may have. Give them a call on: 08457 623 623

Sorry to hear your workmates are being unsympathetic, but stay postive, not long to go till you are on your maternity leave. Then you can lounge around in your pj's all day, cry as much as you want...mainly because you have such bad heartburn you can't eat the chocolate you want to!

Sorry this is long and rambling, hope you have a better day today x

RGee: I'm also in week 37, and not totally sure if I've had BH or not. Everyone is different though, and maybe we've just had mild ones which we havent noticed?

Thanks Lizzz and RGee. I too have no shame in asking questions (surely that is why we attend these classes in the first place) and no one was in the remotest bit friendly and dashed off afterwards. I agree with everything you said about people giving birth - I just seem to have developed this ridiculous fear from nowhere. I am an intelligent and logical woman normally - hormones turning me into a frenzied fear!!

However, I have just nipped down to the loo (not for chocolate LOL) and had an overwhelming surge of excitement that I am having a baby. Think maybe a mental institution would be better for me at the mo with these mood swings!

I too don't know whether I have been having BHs. Sometimes after I have had a bath things seem to get very tight. Midwife at the class last night swore by nipple stimulation from 37 weeks to get things started. She suggested laying in the bath, with lights off and candles burning and to just 'twiddle' with nips and areola's for about 15 minutes. She suggested doing this every night if/when you have a bath. I'll be trying it in 1 week and 5 days time (not that I'm counting!!)

LOL!!! can you imagine lying in the bath twidling yourself and suddenly everything happening?! Man I'd be too scared to try it unless I go overdue!

Dont be fooled by any aura of confidence...I am sh*tting myself at the thought of having a baby, believe me! But there are always worse case scenarios.

My sister pushed out twins last year, so I know my birth will be easier than hers (hopefully!), and I know that I will have it easier than her when dealing with the baby at home (big respect to anyone expecting twins, there is no way I can complain about anything when my sister is nearby - plus I get two of everything she no longer needs...and 2 adorable little nephews!)

It is scary seeing all these babies starting to arrive! Only 3 weeks tomorrow for me!

I think BH can make you bump go quite tight, well that is what I've been counting as having contractions anyway! I think i had two feet ppoking out of the top of my bump in the bath last night, someone obviously wanted a stretch and is running out of space!

Can't wait to give birth if only so the indigestion stops! Someone told me I would be getting it right up until i gave birth then it would immediately stop (fingers crossed!)

Lizzz - my sis gave birth to twin girls in Feb (she had a c/s) - they are adorable but I can't say I envy her. They are very hard work but make up for it by being so gorgeous! Only thing is that I can't get her take on labour as hers wasn't a 'natural' birth.

ELM - congratulations!!!

Twins! Sheesh! All I can say is in the post-natal ward with ds there was a bf poster showing women feeding in various positions, and even on this poster (designed to promote bfing) the picture of the mum feeding twins just made her look completely done in!