June #9, The ABSOLUTELY FINAL stretch! The one where the little ones start arriving. Here's to sleepless nights and lots of cuddles.

[nehagarg]

Will we make it to the end of this one with all the babies here?

Here is the latest one people.

And a link to the stats.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oTx71GeTR-ilVPTpIhNhutAwZPqNyYNEyIDwO80PmKQ/edit#gid=0

Enjoy!

nehgarg - hope they get to sort the tongue tie out quickly if thats what it is. How are you feeling? xx

Aagh neha more stress!!
If the hospital are not being as helpful re breastfeeding as they might be, get your DP to google your nearest la leche league and get in touch- also your NCT probably knows a good lactation consultant. Most hospitals are actually shit at supporting breastfeeding, despite also making you feel shit for not doing it...

Thinking of madrigal and chilli for friday, eep!

Good luck inside!

How are you doing pies?? Still working on the first natural birth on the thread??

nehagarg that's good that they're looking into it and have spotted the possibility of tongue tie soon. And hopefully if they can get it sorted soon then you'll be able to breast/bottle feed soon.

I've also completely lost track of what's going on with everyone, so hope everyone that's being monitored/in hospital etc is doing ok.

I had my 38 week midwife appt today, and the baby is 2/5 engaged. Everyone's been saying my bump has dropped, so they were right! She was really reassuring about the growth scan I have next week, and we talked through options for induction. My midwife really is lovely, I've been really lucky.

Glad you are feeling good about it all Mollie - our builders are now half way through, they have been really reliable since they turned up (probably jinxed us now), turns out getting them here was the harder part, feeling much more relaxed!

Friend of mine has just given birth 3 weeks early which hit home that June is fast approaching!! eeek!

nehagarg I hope they get the tt sorted. Hope you're both doing OK despite that.
Hope everyone else is doing OK.
37+3 and ready for baby now... bored!

Good luck madrigal.

Hope they get the tongue tie sorted soon neha.

Has anyone else seen their breastfeeding support team? Mine called on Monday to see if they could pop around when I've finished work to introduce themselves and give me some information. So they're coming during my first week of maternity leave, I was impressed by that level of support before the baby is even here but sounds like I need to wait and see what it's like afterwards.

I had my 36 week mw appointment today and my bp is up and baby is measuring 2-3 weeks behind. I know fundal height is at best an inaccurate art but it still sounds scary when it's been following the line all the time. She has referred me for a growth scan but warned me that the hospital might not accept the referral.

That's great cautious is that from the health visiting team? Don't think we have a breastfeeding support option here. I had a very patient midwife in the hospital, some charity appear in hospital and a visit from HomeStart charity after I came home (As I requested assistance) but nothing additional from the health visitors or NHS. I think its difficult to offer anything other than information in advance as until you know how its going to go, if there are any problems etc. then it is hard to advise, being armed with information can't hurt :D Hope the growth scan goes OK for you - what reason was given for potentially not accepting the referral?

I was meant to have a call from the breastfeeding support team but not heard a thing. This was off the back of my 31wk appt - I'm 35+3 now. Health visitor is coming out to do a pre birth visit/introduction in a couple of weeks too when I'll be 38wks.

Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful son Neha

Good luck Madrigal and Chilli

Got passed for my home birth yesterday, so they are on call for me from Friday when I will be 37 weeks which is exciting. Do need another scan tomorrow though as growth has stayed static for one week. This will be our 4th growth scan! Midwife didn't seem too concerned though and said baby is now 2/5 engaged and this could account for the measurements not getting higher.

Did think that something might be happening this morning as I've felt really well pretty much throughout pregnancy and then woke up in the early hours of this morning, with period like pains, lower backache, runs and feeling sick. Also couldn't get comfortable at all and just felt generally off. However seems to be better now apart from niggling nausea. Was googling early signs of labour this morning, but guess I just have to be patient!!

Yes dolly they work alongside the health visitors. I'm guessing they're going to provide information but also advice on who to contact if you need help afterwards, but we'll see. I'll let you know.

MW said that the fundal height isn't bad for 36 weeks but as its the same as at 34 weeks, she'd refer but the hospital might look at it as normal enough and not offer the scan. I'm feeling a bit panicked snd teary about it now I've had time to sit and take it in but that's probably linked to being home on my own.

cautious that's great with the breastfeeding team. Our NCT breastfeeding session was run by one of the local breastfeeding councillors and she was brilliant. It's just good to know where we can go for help if we need it. Also my fundal height measurement dipped a few weeks ago and I've been having extra scans since then. At every appointment they've been reminding me how inaccurate the fundal measurements are, and even growth scans aren't really very accurate either, so I'm trying to stay optimistic. My growth has now dropped across 2 centile lines, but they're still not overly worried, just monitoring. I'm trying to take my cues off them and not be worried if I don't need to be! I hope your scan goes ok if they accept the referral.

Violet perhaps it's the very start of things? I've had really painful period-type pains all day today, but no kind of pattern and nothing has got any stronger. it's very hard not to read into every little twinge!

cautious, I'm sure everything will be okay as, as others have said, fundal measurements are pretty inaccurate. Mine was measured at 35cm and 37cm on the same day (in fact, within an hour of each other!) Having said that, if you are worried or it's causing you anxiety, trust your instincts and insist on a scan... via your midwife or maternity triage. No sense sitting at home worrying, they'd always rather see you.

My gag reflex is crazy sensitive atm. I'm still on the antiemetics but over the past week or so I keep retching - it's horrible. Been having niggly pains all day too but I doubt anything is happening, just think I'm still doing too much. Less than a fortnight left at work now though, so looking forward to relaxing.

Hope madrigal is enjoying baby snuggles and that ds tongue tie gets sorted asap nehagarg

I hope you've managed to get home today nehagarg and that the latching issue has improved.

cautious - wow, thats brilliant support from the BF team!

Violet - ooh, how exciting about the home birth! I'd love to have one.

Violet I'm also having a home birth. Just getting all the stuff together. Exciting!

I'm in such pain tonight. DS hit DD and then hit me today and so I put him on the naughty step. He went crazy and kept running away. So I proceeded to have a 20 minute battle of dragging him back to it. It was not our finest hour. In the end I threatened to throw his stuffed cat in the bin if he didn't sit there.

About 5 minutes later the pain kicked in in my crotch and I called DH in tears asking him to come home from work 10 minutes early because I'm in such pain. I can barely walk and can't sit or move easily. I'm desparately hoping some painkillers and sleep will fix it.

That is the last time I use the naughty step before this baby is born.

Sorry moan over.

Oh dear biking! Is the pain where he kicked you or a result of rushing around? Any chance of leaving the kids with DH and treating yourself to a relaxing bath or something to ease the pain? Or maybe an ice pack?

No he hit me on the arm and not that even particularly hard. It was more the repeatedly picking him up and taking him to the naughty step. I don't think I could get into a bath (and we don't have one anyway!) but when DH gets home from nipping out I'm going o go down the ice-pack route. It's the getting in and out of bed that is so sore.

Hope you feel better soon biking I haven't been able to pick 4yo DS up since relativly early on this pregnancy. Combination of him getting heavier and me getting bigger! It's tricky when they strop and you can't just pick them up!

gosh biking I hope you are OK, what type of pain is it? stabbing, aching, pulled muscle type? I hope it eases for you really soon.

Just watched an amazing video of a "natural c-section" where there is no curtain and the baby pushes itself out of the mum's tummy as everyone watches. We couldn't go for that as DH would faint on the floor (!!) but made me feel so much better for some reason about having "major surgery" if it is an ELCS as it just looked so calm, something I've been panicking about! Don't make a habit of watching surgery videos, this one just popped up on my newsfeed on FB!

I get that awful 'stab you in the crotch' pain when I've overdone it, ice definitely helps. Hope it gets better soon, sorry you've had such a rough day with the kids.

Hope you are having lovely cuddles with baby madrigal!

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. Baby Madrigal was born this morning at 10.51, weighing 8lb 15oz. She is currently nameless but we are smitten.

She's beautiful madrigal, congratulations! Glad it went well, i hope your recovery is smooth and you get home soon

Nehagarg beautiful baby!!! I bet you can't stop looking at him. Congratulations!
Good luck to everyone in hospital and have all these check ups! Just think, it won't be for much longer and we will soon have our babies.

We went to our hospital tour this evening. It was brilliant. So good to see where it is all going to happen. A bit surprised how few birth pools they have. Only one on the main delivery ward and two on the MLU. I'm pretty sure I can't go into the MLU as I'm consultant led but I'm gonna try.

Congratulations madrigal she is a big girl! Absolutely gorgeous.