July 2016 Babies (9) - let the babies commence!

[Ellizardo]

Nearly there folks.

I give up! I can't type in this position in a hospital bed!! So sorry about it!! Xxx

You and Ruby Happy Anniversary. Are you doing anything nice today? Poor DH has taken the morning off work to go to the doctors. He's never off work so must feel ill. He is really wheezing. Tonight I'm just doing one of those dine in for 2 meals.

Eliz I also have trouble getting to sleep thinking about little things I need to do. Plus I keep forgetting important things all the time. I thought I had lost the car key the other day. Luckily it turned up.

Thom sorry to hear you are in hospital hope you are out soon. Have you bought absolutely nothing for baby? I would make a start as some things you really are going to need straight away it will be very stressful having to go out and buy everything in a rush of baby makes an early appearance.

Bluebell wow I don't think I've ever seen such a huge food list haha. We are bringing slightly more than last time though. I don't eat in labour in fact it's the last thing on my mind but after ds3s birth we were waiting 7 hours for paper work to go through so we could leave. That's a long time with a hungry husband and I wanted something after labour not a huge meal but I needed something. That's why I've chosen mostly healthyish energy givers this time.

Dats I say I would like baby to arrive as some days I feel so rubbish it would be nice to have my body back. However , in reality there are still a few things I want/need to do. I don't expect him to be here until pretty much on my due date anyway if the previous 3 are any indicator.

Cookies how lovely to have a surprise baby shower. I've never had one . Sounds like you have very generous friends. The massage in particular will be a lovely treat after the birth.
I'm eating loads. But it was our anniversary and then we had DHs grandad over for his birthday on Sunday which meant cake and now left over cake

Photographer goodness well done for being good even during pregnancy. My diet is terrible at the moment. No wonder I'm so fat. I'll probably regret it after the baby arrives.

Thank you so much for all the anniversary wishes. We had a lovely day Saturday. In the day we took the children to the carnival and then had a gorgeous meal in the evening. The restaurant did us a dessert plate and gave DH some free wine it was so nice. Today DH has gone to the GP as he is ill and is going to work now. Tonight we will just have a meal deal.

36+3

Hiya. Can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by. 35 weeks today aaarrrgghhh. Had swabs done a few weeks ago and come back strep b positive and already know I'm mrsa positive in perineum ( long story but treatment failed and now chronic carrier). Will need iv antibiotics during labour now and stay in afterwards. Feel my poor baby's at risk from my bugs!!. Anyone any experience? Need to speak to my midwife as actually had the swabs done while had problems on holiday. Xx

Bluebell20 I felt just like you with my first. Scared of everything. Have you looked into active birthing or hynobirthing. I found feeling like I was in control of labour actually made it so much easier on the day.

BeauticianNotMagician81 more than enough time to worry about weight when the LO is 6 months old. I gained a lot this pregnancy but okay with it, I know it will come off slowly while I am on mat leave and bfing burns calories :)

Well ran about today to get the last bits for my hospital bag. I think I am pretty ready to go now. I just need to kick myself up the bum and sort out my stress levels. With the whole day yesterday I was in bits and bedtime with the DD was such a nightmare. She just wouldn’t go down! 2 hours of story time, I was in tears thinking its not the time to be tough on her as the baby is coming soon. Was great to offload on some of my old MN2013 mums (yes we still chat daily on Facebook and its lovely for the support, especially now the wee ones are 3). DD woke up today and was such an angel, I wanted a quiet morning with no telly to try and get her in the right mindset for the day. She happily read books while I made brekky. Maybe I am just feeling a bit too guilty and a bit too emotional about the new baby coming.

37+2

Fingers crossed thom. Are they scanning/keeping an eye on heart rate etc? I had a friend with a failing placenta and I think they induced her around 37ish weeks but the induction went brilliantly and although he was on the smaller side he didn't even need to go to NICU. Very best of luck and hope everything is ok in there.

anna very pleased for you your mum is home, I hope she recovers well at home for now. Sorry to hear about your crappy house woes, fingers crossed it resolves very soon.

mrsrolly it's completly understandable. I'm angry enough that DH is working an hour away with no phone signal at the moment!

bluebell sorry to dampen your hopes with the RLT. I go for capsules as I think they're more concentrated than the tea. Although I do love a fruit tea so maybe should have invested. I should have changed my wording from intense to 'more effective'
Rueben Rueben !! Chants for name. We have gone with a traditional family-name for our middle name. That's the one we are certain of. It's completely normal to feel this way with your first ; that was definitely me! I remember getting home from hospital, and just looking at her in the car seat all tiny on our living room floor like 'shit'. But we managed with each labour I've learnt to trust my body; I'm sure yours will do a fantastic job. As a more 'control freak' person I do find it hard that it's so out of our control. But the care I've received from the MW etc whilst in hospital has been so fantastic - I think it's very comforting.

photographer my meals for the children have massively declined of late, don't beat yourself up over one Happy Meal! It isn't forever, and neither is the stage when the baby is newborn. I remember stopping for a McDonalds on the way home from hospital/picking DD up after my last labour! Well done on your hospital bag efforts! Mine sounds like it's a bit empty ...

Although I now have an actual packed bag! Woohoo!! Although I don't have any snacks, I don't think I did last time either! I never ate in labour, labours were too quick for DH to get hungry, and then lived off tea and toast! I sent my mum for some biscuits and some squash after but then went home.
Today I've started bulk buying at the supermarket - loo roll, cat food, cupboard/freezer bits for the DDs... I had 'snacks for hospital bag' on my list but baby brain let me forgot that one..

37 weeks today- Eekk! Had an extra Raspberry leaf capsule at breakfast ( rebel) and drove a little faster over the speed bumps @ DD2s nursery

Hey all, another week, another step closer to meeting our babies! Thom hope all is ok and that you're out soon. 35 weeks today everyone keeps telling me I won't make it full term and that I've dropped had terrible Braxton hicks last night for over two hours, really bad cramps, thought they weren't meant to be painful! Feel shattered today too, so a nice relaxing night I think for me.

Bluebell well done for getting the bag sorted, mines there but spread all over the house. Need to get going with these baby clothes. Washed a few but nothing is ironed or packed all for baby.

Evening all

anna - so pleased to hear your ma is back at home. that must make all the difference to be around her 'stuff'.

turns out my mother has just been hospitalized and put on IV antibiotics for some horrible lung infection. i am on standby to head over there - she's at lewisham where i will have no.2. not quite sure what's going on so am waiting for my dad to call.

thom - hope things looking up today, please do keep us posted.

bluebell - got some dr karg's in your honour today and totally agree with you re: Ivan being so half-hearted in that doc. i also thought he's spunked millions on horses and can't even ride very well.

beautician - love that you mixed haute cuisine with a dine in meal for 2! carnival sounds fun but not exactly nice for the cankles/swelling/pelvic SPD stuff. here's to a summer full of post natal fun!

happy anniversary to you all.

Hello ladies, checking in quickly to let you know I'm in hospital. After having 2 days of painful braxton hicks I'm 3cm dilated will keep you updated when I can!x

Eliz - sorry to hear about your mum. I hope she will be ok x

Thom - just seen your in hospital too. Hope your ok (ps went for Joolz geo!)

hope everyone else is ok too x

Hope things are going ok Jem, are they trying to stop contractions or are they letting it all carry on?

Thom - hope things are impro

... improving for you as well.

Good luck Jem am I right in thinking your full term?? I think our due dates were close? If so I'm jealous. Wishing you a speedy and not too painful labour.

Good luck Jem!

Thanks for the anniversary good wishes - we've had a low key but very nice day. DH took the day off work, and we went for a nice lunch.

Got an appointment tomorrow at diabetic clinic and we will apparently be discussing my "delivery plan". A bit nervous: I want to find out if I can delay my induction until my due date to maximise chances of going into labour naturally. It would only be an extra 4 days or so, and of course may not mean I would go into labour anyway! I know their policy is to induce at 39 weeks, but I guess I want to know why that is. They keep telling me how well controlled my sugars are, and that everything with baby is "reassuringly normal". I know I don't have to consent to an induction, but I'm not very good at being assertive, and in any case if there is a sound medical reason for me in my circumstances to have one, then I will. I hate to be awkward!

Oooh, good luck Jem, sending you relaxing thoughts for a smooth process and cuddles soon!

And hope all is well Thom

Jem hope your labour goes well. You and baby will be fine. If I'm right you were due the same time as me so 37 weeks on this coming Friday. Good luck. Eek we may have another newborn on the thread soon.

thom hope you're ok? How funny about the house and same thing happening to you. I spoke to my friend tonight and she had the same thing. They aren't budging so we are going to have to sort it ASAP. Twats!! Going to leave the house messier than I was going to now lol!

eliz I hope your mum is ok? it's so awful when you gave to deal with these things when pregnant. X

jem this is very exciting! I hope it all goes ok for you!!

cookies good idea to stick up on essentials. Think I'll do that too!

mascara I'm sure you're not that big and ready to drop. People are so rude!

birch I've not heard of that but hope you're ok? Maybe post in childbirth or pregnancy boards on here?

bluebell if it comes to having a c section at that point you won't care care the needle. You can't see it and I was totally out of it and throwing up at the time lol! You'll be fine honestly, but you're normal to worry. You'd be mad to go into labour excited about it!

photographer I've given up on cooking healthy meals. I'm too bloody knackered! As long as you're not eating fast food three times a day you'll be fine! Hope bedtime was easier tonight for you!

I ordered a double buggy today. Boots has 10% off some car seats and buggies. I've ordered the Britax be agile double. Was torn between that and the city jogger but as it was half the price and I couldn't see much difference I thought I would try it out first!

Aw Jem good luck! I can come and visit tomorrow if you'd like (!) whilst I see my Ma. Just spoke to her on her ancient mobile. She's still in a&e and having the IV now after all other tests showed she's ok apart from the infection. Which has made me feel a little better. Anna I'm in awe of you.

Elliz oh no, your poor mum. Glad she seems otherwise ok and gets some relief soon.

Jem oooh! Hope you're settled in and ok, keep us posted!!

Thom monitoring all sounds good and reassuring, are you doing ok?

mascara hope you don't get a repeat of those painful BHs. That sounds horrible.

YouAndMe good luck with your appt tomor, really hope they will be happy to go along with what you want.

Anna well done on buggy purchase, that must feel good! I might end up with a double at some point. Going to see how we get on with carrier/Maclaren or maybe CityMini with a buggy board. Hope your mum is doing ok, keep thinking about you. Boo to annoying twatty buyers

Bluebell sounds good on the blanket plan and you've made loads of progress, nice one! Can't berluddy wait to see it!! I must have missed your uber food list, I shall go and look in a minute - Dr Kargs though, yum! Your birth worries are all very normal! Definitely think about some hypnobirthing podcasts, I've heard good things and will give them a try this time, I think.

photog hearing you on the not wanting to be too hard on your DD, I feel like that sometimes. Plus with all our building stuff and she's recently gone up a room at nursery there's so much change in their little lives! Hard to know where to draw the line with empathy and understanding and making some nice back rods, too!!

Cookies your baby shower, ahhh! That's lovely! Chuckled at your outrageous behaviour this morning though. You'll be mainlining pineapple and snorting curry powder, next

Can we all stop getting excited and willing these babies to arrive, please??! I dyed my hair today so at least I might not have grey roots in childbirth. How much of a social faux pas would that be?
Found out today that plasterers can't fit us in until first week of July. Oh. In more positive news, a good friend Whatsapped earlier and we haven't spoken for a while and I filled her in on how fat and kitchenless I was and that I was planning a homebirth and she said 'want my birth pool?'. Errrr YES I DO!!! I've been looking on gumtree and eBay but not found what I was after, nearby so I am really pleased. Still got to pick it up and test it but hopefully all will be fine. I don't know why I didn't think to ask her, she had both her DDs at home. Another friend has lent us a Cocoonababy and a Close Caboo as well, so I'm doing well!

Right off to get ready for another luxury night of humidity, wee breaks, choking on bile and feeling like I'm ready for a hip replacement. La la la laaaa.

dats 35+1

Just nipping in to say good luck Jem!

Eliz - hope your mum is ok
Thom - glad you're feeling more positive. Hope all ok with you too x

Oooo good luck jem !

elliz so sorry to hear about your mum. Hope she makes a speedy recovery from the infection. These extra worries in pregnancy are not fun, will be thinking of you

youandme good luck at your appointment , you're totally in the right to be asking the questions, I hope you get some good answers etc. Great news that everything is very stable and normal at the mo

dats that's great news! You must have saved so many pennies! Jammy your comment about going to bed really did make me laugh - so so true! And was me all over last night!

hope all is well thom have been thinking of you

mascara hope you're not tired from all those Braxton hicks, they're such a bugger. People were telling me that, then someone told me yesterday I was 'still really high and that baby is clearly staying out for ages yet'. People do get on my nerves sometimes

Another glutinous night last night - family meal and I basically ordered everything that came with cheese. Course I was in for a rubbish nights sleep. And i was so full (couldn't poo) sorry too much info - it literally felt like labour does anyone else get that?!

37+1

jem - it sounds like a little one is on the way. Good luck! How exciting.
youandme - good luck with the apt. I have learnt being in here that you need to ask lots if questions. They just try & steam roller
over you.
elliz hope your mum is ok & has a speedy recovery.
mascara - hope the BH are ok. If doesn't sound fun.
Thank you for all your well wishes. I am feeling bright and positive & so much better. I felt very downbeat yesterday after the scan showed that the placenta had aged badly. Positive news is that the baby is looking good & still putting on weight. They don't want to deliver early as I am only 33 weeks, if I was 36 they would have done a c-section by now. I am hoping that as baby is still happy, they will discharge me tomorrow / Thursday with a plan to closely me monitor. If any problems with the baby bring me in and airlift her out! Keeping everything crossed! Xx

Jem - good luck! How exciting!

Thom my friend has a Joolz and it certainly seems very fancy - and it packs down super-small into her car.

Beautician yep, my DH gets hangry (as do I to be fair), so I feel like it's worth taking my mini-larder with me just so that he doesn't disappear off for a kebab halfway through the birth .

birchy the fact that they KNOW about the bugs means that your baby is automatically at lower risk than it would have been, because they will be managing the situation in the hospital! That's how I would think about it. xx

photographer yep I have a hypnobirthing CD which seems really good. Only trouble is, I can't make it through the damn thing without falling asleep! I'm going to try it today while sitting up on a hard surface!

Cookies thanks for the support on the name and also on the first-time mum nerves. Definitely the out-of-control thing I find really difficult - I like to rehearse situations in my head before going into them, and obviously with this I can't! Re RLT, when do you start taking your capsules? Also... love the idea of bulk buying loo roll etc.; I hadn't though of that, but it's now going to happen!

mascara hope the BH go away; how mean of them to be painful! I've not had any BH - not that I've noticed, anyways.

Ellizardo so sorry to hear about your mum. Hope they are looking after her beautifully. You did make me laugh with your comment about Ivan spunking millions... And yeah, he did not seem to be a good rider at all! It made me cringe a bit, really... Like he was just doing it to fit in with the moneyed set. And hooray for Dr Karg's!

YouAndMe, I hope your appointment goes well today and that they explain everything clearly. It is really important that you know the reasons why decisions are being made about you and your baby!

Anna good point about not being able to see the needle at least! The more I think about it, the more I realise that I am terrified of having to have one, though. I'm worried that if I have to have an epidural I will pass out midway through (I am a notorious fainter - I have to lie down for all my blood tests and vaccinations or I keel over) and end up paralysed... Arggggghhhhh. Think I might need to mention my anxieties to the midwife at next week's appointment!

dats your grey roots comment made me laugh! Great news about the birthing pool loan - what a result! Yep blanket is so close to being done now... A couple of strips left to join, then a border, then I am DONE. Hoping to finish today; might be tomorrow, depending on the carpal tunnel situation. I'm going to have to block it - shame that the weather has gone all grey and rainy here as it would be nice to block it out in the sunshine. I will post photos when it is done!

Cookies not had the poo-like-labour thing since the time I got stuck in the toilet at work a couple of months ago, thankfully. I feel your pain though.

Thom really glad that the baby is thriving so well. Fingers crossed you make it as long as possible.

Speaking of early deliveries, Fifi I am still thinking of you and Luca lots, and hoping everything is going well.

Is anyone else doing perineal massage? I am finding it hilariously difficult with my fuzzy fat carpal tunnel hands, but I am having a go. It's a bit grim and I'm not really sure that I'm putting enough pressure on when I stretch, but I figure something is better than nothing...!

Oh and here's a weird one... My finger nails have started lifting away from the nail beds at the ends, so the pink bit of my nails has got shorter. How odd is that? Apparently it's called onycholysis (thank you Doctor Google) and can happen in pregnancy. I have always really liked the shape of my fingernails so I hope they go back to normal eventually!

Last night both DH and I separately dreamed that the baby had arrived, and that he was smiling at us straight away! How cute is that? I really want him here now. I just want to snuggle him!

38 weeks today... Eeeeee!

hello

thanks for your good wishes about my ma. just back from lewisham a&e (sending you good vibes jem !) to see her. She's had two doses of IV antibiotics and finally moved to a ward after 12 hours sitting on a metal chair (she's 74). She seems really much better, filled me in on her favourite male nurse etc...so fingers crossed!

birchy - agree with bluebell re strep and other bugs. the scandal of strep i believe was when no one thought to test for it. sounds like you are fully loaded up with info which is the best position to be in. good luck.

cheery - been meaning to say how lovely the shower must have been. i have to say i'm usually quite poo-poohing of baby showers as i'm not a girly girl but your description was really moving and actually echoes a good friend of mine who said hers moved out of the realm of being about the baby and more about friendship and sisterhood etc.

youandme - when I had GD last year with Ted I was induced at 39 weeks despite us both being well and controlling it with diet alone etc. I expect it's just a blanket policy that they apply in as many cases as possible. In our case, i ended up with a CS at 39+5 because he simply wasn't ready to come out naturally anyway so WTF..no one knows anything! I would definitely fight for an induction date at 40 weeks if you can.

Bluebell - speaking of csections...absolutely fair enough to be nervous but please don't worry! In worst case scenario, you could always ask to go under general anaesthetic...which is what happened to me when they didn't get the spinal right. a nice plastic mask over your face and no needles at all! The only downside I can tell in retrospect was being completely twatted (excuse my french) during one of the most important moments of my life. But I am one of those 'if you don't laugh, you'd cry' types who was just pleased we were all in one piece at the end of it.

thom - so pleased you're in good shape. fingers crossed they let you out to run amok soon. xx

Jem, best of luck! Hope all goes well!

The Braxton hicks wiped me out yesterday, I was so tired! Not had any since though, a little bit scared about real contractions of those were so strong

Eliz, glad to hear your mum is a bit brighter today.

Cookies, I'm in bulk buying mode. Tonight I'll be batch cooking my shepherds pie.

Thom hope you're ok and you're out soon.

Bluebell can totally empathise with your nerves especially after going through c sections on the nct course. Made me feel more anxious!

Youandme, hope you get answers.

Photographer I've downloaded a hynobirthing app, getting into my breathing now. Let you know how it goes