anyone else due around January the 19th ?

[XxxNewtsxxX]

Just wanted to find out if anyone else is due around January the 19th ☺ and what's going on with their pregnancy ☺ x

[mrsjskelton]

Due 19th, working right up to Christmas and back at college for a career change sciatica kicking in a little with always rushing around but aside from that, virtually no symptoms other than my little one wriggling around!

[XxxNewtsxxX]

Also due the 19th of January but hospital have said I may have to be induced early.

[2ManySweets]

Hello guys, it's a rocking Friday night here in SW London, my house is in tatters (building work) and my DP is out on the works' Xmas doo. Have not missed drinking as much as this for the past 33 weeks (today woo!) of pregnancy #alkie

Anyway, elvi what's parent craft class?
Also has anyone done their local NHS or even DaisyBirthing class as opposed to NCT?

I've absolute confidence I'll revise my position in time but I'm just not feeling the whole NCT thing. It's actually making me a bit down in the mouth tbh.

[Elvi1]

That's great lily - me and DH found them really useful - we finished our final class yesterday. Just waiting for the breastfeeding class now! Another tip is that if you don't get an appointment through by 36 weeks, the midwife taking the antenatal classes said just go along - they take place every Wednesday but in two alternating venues (one at Dulwich College Hospital and the other somewhere up from Brixton). Anyway, I'm sure you will get an invitation via the post in any event...

2manysweets - parent craft classes (I think) are just another name for antenatal classes that we were offered by Kings - so nhs. Looked into NCT when we didn't think We would get on to a nhs antenatal class, but found them quite expensive and all the local ones had started in any event. The midwife running the antenatal classes told us she didn't recommend NCT classes (if going to nhs classes) mainly because of the cost - she said they are mainly useful for socialising, but then you might be unlucky and get put into a group where you don't really relate/get on with the people in it (this is just her personally opinion of course). She assured us that we will meet lots of people when baby is here. Hope so - I'm the first one out of my friends to have a baby!

[Nousername2015]

Afternoon all, woke up with an overwhelming urge to steam clean the kitchen , also nagging dh into sorting some more of the nursery out so we can start moving bits in. Just had my first raspberry leaf tea, it's not too bad with half a teaspoon of honey stirred in.
What's everyone else up to this weekend?
Sorry I didn't reply before lily I'm in deepest darkest Yorkshire. Met a friend and her 2 week old baby last night who said the night before she went in the unit was full and they were turning away, this isn't looking good!

[lilyb84]

Nousername as seasonal as it is to have a potential no room at the inn situation that is quite worrying! Fingers crossed it works out for you!

I've been shopping in Croydon, got myself a small wheelie case to use as a hospital bag as the bags I had at him weren't cutting it and I could see us rocking up in a taxi with things spilling out of bin bags...

Don't think I'll be rushing to do any more shopping though, ow the pain!

[lilyb84]

And thanks elvi - here's hoping we get an invite to the breastfeeding class too!

2manysweets we opted not to do NCT partly because we couldn't afford nearly £400 and partly because it seems like the main benefit is the social one and neither DH or I are the type of people who enjoy 'making friends' that way. I've faith I'll meet people once baby's here and am going to force myself to go to local baby groups etc. We have a fair amount of friends with children who are now all 2-6 years old, but none of them are very close friends - or live particularly near us. But I'm a 1 or 2 friends kind of person so will be happy as long as baby has at least a couple of friends his age

[vickyors]

Nousername I'm impressed!

Lilyb, £400 sounds ridiculous!
We found the nct was useful for my oh who was terrified about the whole birth thing.. And we didn't have a militant leader- she was fab (particularly as various of the group didn't want to breastfeed or had c sections planned) plus ours was £80 because of local subsidy..
But tbh we liked the nhs classes too and made mates there.. Plus, once the little one arrived we had all the baby group social things which were really nice..
It's weird with a second as I'm not sure if we can go to the nhs ones again.. I hope so!
I'm feeling weirdly emotional today.. Not sure why.. I'm impressed by all the cleaning and organising, esp if you're in pain!

[Elvi1]

Ha lily you sound similar to me - I prefer to make friends 'organically'. I'm quite shy although I hide it well so takes a lot for me to go somewhere where I don't know anyone (it took me 4 years to join a netball team when moved to london and biggest regret was to not join earlier as made some good friends through that!). After our 20wk scan my husband was keen to join NCT classes to 'meet' people and I think he was worried about me being on my own day in day out when baby arrives, but I was adamant that I was happy to hang out on my own with the baby. However, the few months the january forum went quiet I realise it was actually quite lonely not being able to share questions/advice with people in the same boat as you. I'm going to have to push myself to join some sort of social group when baby arrives to meet and chat to new mums, and then if any genuine friendships grow from that, then great!

vicky I'm sure the feeling will pass soon enough - I bet tomorrow you will be feeling your normal self!

I almost dread going to bed at the moment - so uncomfortable now. I've been up and about all day but when I finally did sit down I bounced on my ball for a bit and then laid down on the fluffy rug in my bedroom with the cats ha ha.

[Nousername2015]

elvi It sounds weird but I'm managing to get a few hours of unbroken sleep at the moment by sleeping sitting up propped with pillows. No hip pain but get a bit of tailbone and bum numbness. Worth a try?

Stupidly bought dh a beer tasting session for our wedding anniversary this year so now sat outside the brewery waiting for 2 hours of complete boredom (and thirst!) to begin. Might have a taste of stout if they have one in the session, I'm just thinking of the iron content!

[lilyb84]

How's everyone doing? nousername hope the brewery tour wasn't too frustrating! We did one the month before conceiving, was glad we booked it when we did! vicky hope you've been feeling okay - I think we get another surge of hormones at this stage which is certainly making me very emotional, boo.

I'm still not sleeping much, guess that's just how it'll be from now until birth and for the next few years.

Had my first parent craft (NHS) class yesterday and actually found it very useful. Not much I didn't already know but it was nice to hear it from a midwife rather than someone online. The natural birth section made me feel very positive and almost excited (does that make me weird?!) about labour. Still can't listen to talk about drugs, c sections or other interventions without feeling like I'm going to pass out though.

Iron levels are apparently quite low according to my mw this week (nice of the last two I've seen since the blood test to let me know!!) which explains partly why I've been quite so wiped out. And in other news, my DH is being let go from his job so we're facing a bit of an uncertain new year. Happy Christmas, eh?!

Hope you're all well

[tinyme135]

Hi ladies. hope everyone is fine I'm 36+3 and when I was at the midwife appointment she said I'm 4/5ths engaged and said she can hardly feel the head now. I don't know what that means. this is my first.

[Nousername2015]

It went ok, thanks for asking lily! I did have a few sips of stout which was lovely and unfortunately left me wanting more. Glad you enjoyed parentcraft, antenatal left me feeling quite excited about labour too. Sorry to hear about your husband's job, what a crap time of year to get news like that

2 days left at work. Got so much to do but so excited to finally finish!

[lilyb84]

tiny that means your baby's head is almost completely engaged in your pelvis ready for birth - the midwife feels to see how much of the head is 'palpable' (ie how much she can feel) and yours is only 1/5 palpable now. Apparently firSt babies tend to engage and stay there, any time from 34/35 weeks onwards I think, whereas subsequent babies might engage then disengage a few times.

Mine is still fully palpable so not coming any time soon

nousername hope your last 2 days go well! Exciting! I only have 10 days left and a few of those are technically half days thanks to antenatal appointments, hurrah!

[tinyme135]

I thought it was that but wasn't too sure. I hope he comes soon then as I'm getting tired and the fanny daggers are starting to become too much for me to stand. I'm so glad I finished work at the start of December had time to myself.

[vickyors]

Hey tinyme.. I feel for you on the fanny daggers! Poor you!

I had the meeting with the consultant today and c section booked for 25th Jan, which is lovely to know, and he was really lovely..

To those who are nearly finished with work.. Well done for making it! Hope everyone's had a good week?

[tinyme135]

and another thing I really hate too is BH. I just had a load of them, some quite painful. they worry you especially when you're really close. I'm 37 weeks on Sunday :S

[Nousername2015]

Great news on the c section being booked vicky, it must feel great to have a definite date to look forward too!

[lilyb84]

Yay for 25th Jan vicky!

[vickyors]

Not long to go now tinyme.. And BH must be horrid if they're painful.. Suggests everything's going in the right direction tho..

[tinyme135]

yep especially when you think oh it's my time and then half hour later you get nothing. MIL kindly told me last night she has noticed my bump has suddenly dropped and she won't be surprised he's here in the next few days or weeks. and she kept asking have I got everything ready telling me not to be scared and just to relax. I am now stressing out thinking I haven't got everything and worrying twice as much for the birth haha

[2ManySweets]

Oh god, tell me about not feeling ready! I'm now 34+1 and still no closer go hanging anything substantive in place for baby!
Think it's going to be panic-shopping mania in between Christmas and New Year; baby better stay but for at least another three weeks so I can
A) get to 37 weeks
B) get all of the stuff
C) get at least a couple of days to myself after finishing work

NCT Update; they're all quite nice actually. Still missing my non-baby friends though. God, Xmas is so bloody REFLECTIVE isn't it?

[2ManySweets]

*hanging???

getting

[Nousername2015]

Just been for a reassurance scan as was getting very nervous about being here, there and everywhere for Christmas week. Current estimated weight of baby is 6lb14 and I'm 35+4 today Still same centiles as when I had a 28 week growth scan but concerned that I'm about to have ginormobaby!!

[tinyme135]

I don't know what to do. I'm getting more lightening pains, a tight pain on the side of my bump like stitch but I know it's not that, there was streaks of red blood when I wiped (tmi sorry) and it feels like I'm constipated but not. been having a lot of back pain which has been getting worse every day. I did have painful tightening last night but it died down. I don't know what to do "/