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!

Laughing just seen your reply, thank you I'm pleased with myself just need to pass practical after baby is born X

Good luck for tomorrow strawberry these babies are coming thick and fast now!

congratulations inside absolutely gorgeous!

good luck Strawberrypenguin for tomorrow xx

PGP and extreme tiredness is making life quite hard work here.

Feel so bad for my toddler - he wants to go out running around the park but I just don't have the energy and everything around where I live is either up or down a steep hill and it kills my pelvis :(

Think I'll be hitting the pineapple, curry, sex etc.... Very soon!! (38 weeks today)

I'm getting good at the games that involve mummy sitting down mrsmugoo! Yesterday, i sat on a bench while ds brought me beach pebbles...one by one... then took them back again We are lucky that we are by the coast so the land is flat though. Not long before we have our bodies back!

I know how you feel about feeling bad for the kids. If it wasn't for DH's work being so good it would be a nightmare. I haven't left the flat in 8 days as I can't walk because of the PGP and DH has had to do all the pick ups and drop offs. Somehow I have to get to a mw appointment this afternoon, I'm desperate for this baby to make an appearance soon!

Afternoon!
Congrats inside what a lovely LO. Hope you are feeling ok.

I am now 36w and looking forward to the end.

I would urge caution to anyone thinking they will get their body back. I didn't last time!!! In fact a small child has a desperate need to be back inside you for what feels like years (DS turned 4yo today - where does the time go!). DS wants to touch me or have me go with him all the time. He was more independent at 2yo than he is now!!!!! He used to go to the toilet on his own and generally do his own thing. However for the first 12 months of his life his favourite spot was on me or daddy. So not quite the freedom of my body that I had envisaged before birth!!
And of course after birth it felt like it could not possibly be my body because I felt so ....... Not sure how to describe it.... Different? Broken? Exhausted?! Labour can be a bit like doing a number of marathons back to back. Of course you might be luckier and be like my Sil whose 1stvlabour was 4 hours long and her 2nd (last week) only 3 weeks long!!!!!! Am so jealous. Have asked her to send me some of her speedy dust!

Btw This article popped up on my FB feed today. Thought it interesting
evolutionaryparenting.com/a-response-to-gina-fords-golden-rules/

It makes the point re SIDS too.

I've known mums to slip into pnd due to trying to follow Gina ford. I've also known mums who won't leave the house because of "the rules" too. As I'm not a rules person and niether DH nor I can follow a schedule her method wasn't for us. Nor would I trust someone to tell me how to parent, who has never been a parent! Ditto for the baby whisperer and super nanny.

In fact DS got himself into his own routine by around 8mo. Worked for us.

We found lazy parenting much much easier - follow babies cues and drag them along to most things / places / activities you fancy...!!! Hence we also did baby led weaning because I really am a lazy parent and the thought of making purees or giving money to food corporations to buy purees was just too much. DS loved steak at the age of 7mo. Gummed a piece for nearly an hour and had a lovely time!!! Highly recommend BLW.

Congratulations Inside he's gorgeous!

I've just come back from my growth scan. The baby hasn't grown very much so they did a sweep while I was there and I'm booked in for an induction on Thursday if that doesn't work. The consultant said she wants him out before the end of the week. Eek!

Wow Mollie, were you expecting that? How far along will you be by then? You must be excited to meet the baby.

Btw for those of you with piles, episiotomies or post labour tears.... Found this ice pack on Amazon
Smart Choice Feme Pad https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000UX52Z0/ref=cmswwrcppapi_GTWqxbDB14EGP

Wow mollie that must have been a bit of a surprise. Hope the sweep works for you - if not at least it should help get you ready for induction!

He hasn't been growing very well for a few weeks so I've had extra growth scans. They told me 2 weeks ago they might need to induce if he hadn't grown much at the scan today, but I think I was in denial! I'm 39 weeks tomorrow so date wise it's absolutely fine, I'd just much rather avoid an induction if I can. I'm going to be doing a lot of walking over the next couple of days to try and get things moving!

Good luck strawberry and mollie!!!
I'm an advocate of walking up and down stairs sideways and bouncing on a birthing ball, I reckoned that got me started last time, so I had a super easy, not especially painful, 4 hour induction. They do happen!!!

Awww inside, absolutely gorgeous! Hope you get to spend a good amount of time together today.

Good luck strawberry & Mollie! Here's to super speedy inductions!

Glad I'm not alone with the swollen lady bits. Guess it's just another glam side effect of pregnancy

Grubby that's really good to hear!

Well we had new carpet fitted today so I'm going for the "hoovering all the fluff off the carpet" approach, then there'll be lots of sorting out of stuff later on once poor DH has carried everything back upstairs. Perhaps I can carry some of the lighter things sideways up the stairs to try and help things along I'm trying not to be stressed at the fact that we're completely not ready for this baby to come today, we could do with him waiting till tomorrow, then I'm happy for it to be all systems go!

I'll try the sideways stairs grubby thanks. Not expecting it to be quick tbh - DS1 was a 3 day induction. This time I'm more prepared with phone charger and loaded kindle! (Hoping for a quicker one this time though!)

Just had mw appointment, baby is still small but looks to be growing still. I am a bit nervous about it but the last growth scan showed it was ok.

Mw thinks labour will be quite quick and so we have now got a back up plan to have the baby at home. We're just going to wait and see how it goes. In my head I'll be labouring over night like the others but I guess that's not a guaranteed!

Congratulations inside!

sam last time I had piles. This time it's varicose veins downstairs which has been far more uncomfortable, I haven't looked but I'm quite swollen and have been for months. Everything I have read says it will all go post-birth it better bloody had.

Like many im feeling my 37 weeks. Took my DD to the park this afternoon because it's glorious but I'm feeling it now - not much else will happen this evening now. It's certainly more challenging with a toddler to also look after. DD was a week late. Not sure I can make it to 41 weeks this time!

mollie, I'm glad you are getting lots of attention, it's a worrying time for you, good there are giving you a few more days though. Very exciting to know you will be having baby cuddles in a few days time! Fx the sweep works for you, or at least makes the induction more favourable.

Annoyed. Just went to collect repeat prescription from GP and was handed a second prescription - for iron supplements (ferrous fumarate 210mg twice a day).

Apparently my last blood check (around 31 weeks as I transferred care) showed me to be low in iron, but no one told me, so only just starting to treat it at 36 weeks!

Is anyone else on iron supplements? Is the prescribed dose normal in pregnancy? Any advice on taking them? I'm dreading any digestion system effects - indigestion has been difficult enough as it is...

Another cute baby inside - thinking of you and hope you feel well enough to come home soon.

I'm on them jelly same dosage. I drink my morning one with a glass of orange juice and my evening one with a glass of another fruit juice. I've not been constipated yet (been taking them for nearly a fortnight), but my poo is black

Thanks iamdivergent - do you mind me asking if they suggested your deficiency is mild/moderate/severe?

Don't take with milk apparently jelly belly. My iron was down to 106 and went up to 117 with just one per day in about 2 weeks.Now on one every other day. Spend the mornings feeling nauseous and they've actually made me a bit looser than constipated. I was on 3 a day after I had DD and was seriously bunged up then which then led to piles.
Yuck!
Taking them last time my iron was nice and high at delivery (140 I think) so when I haemorrhaged I didn't have to have a blood transfusion as iron only dropped to 100 so could be treated with tablets.
There are two types so one might be more suitable to you than another. Fumerate and sulphate. Though I think they are as bad as each other!! Best of luck x

Good luck strawberry and mollie. These June babies are coming thick and fast now.

I had my follow up appointment after my growth scan referral was refused last week and bump has grown again so calm again now and I should be fine to work through until Friday. Midwife was really surprised by quite how far round my side his/her leg is though so think we have a long baby!

It was 108 and they put me on them, they didn't at 110 though 😕 so it is just mild.