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

[Ellizardo]

Nearly there folks.

PS - 35+5.

Happy Saturday, ladies!

julfin glad you enjoyed the concert. Did you have standing tickets? Don't think I could have stood for a whole concert! I replied to your nursery question on Facebook but am basically burying my head in the sand a bit. I should start researching but don't know how specific I need to be when we put our names on the list. I'll be going back to work part time and the office will have moved so I don't know what days/times I'll be working yet.

thom sorry to hear that they're keeping you in. At least baby seems comfy in there at the moment. Plenty of babies are now born at 34 weeks with no problems at all. I was born at 32 weeks almost 30 years ago and have no problems.

Ellizardo - so glad your mom is doing better!

Well ladies, I'm bouncing up and down on this exercise ball, trying to convince this baby to make some motions downward. I've been watching the Tim Peake coverage and hoping this baby takes the hint.

I overdid it yesterday. Did a major clean of the kitchen and ended up on the sofa with a screaming back. This nesting instinct should come with a warning label! You'd think I'd have learned my lesson yesterday, but today I'm going to organise (again) the nursery.

Has anyone started batching cooking and freezing yet? How many weeks should I have squirrelled away? I'm thinking of making batches of minestrone, veggie chilli, bolognese sauce, and courgette soup, but maybe I'm overdoing it? Experienced moms: how little time am I really going to have in the first few weeks?

Forgot to mention, 35+2.

Pulpi ive made a big bolegnaise and a big slow cooker stew and portioned them up ready to just add a tin of tomatoes when we want them, ive also made up some 'ready to chuck in the oven' pasta bakes which ive frozen in metal trays..
Im 37 weeks tomorrow and did this last week but im not the most concious about food hygiene tbh id still eat them after about 6 months! (Not died yet though).

I hope that all of you in hospital/with signs baby is coming are ok - im averaging about 5 hours a day rolling on my ball in the hope baby comes soon! First sweep on monday although im not holding out any hope...

Sympathies to my fellow carpal tunnel sufferers.. my 80 year old grannie has leant me her splints for my 22 year old wrists - how embarrassing!

Also, DP told me i looked like 'a turned over turtle' when i tried (and failed) to turn over in bed this morning .

Sending good vibes to those in hospital.

Well done on the batch cooking primary. I've not been organised. Since the hyperemesis of the beginning of pregnancy I really have not cooked a lot. I do try to make extra portions of bolognaise/curry/cauliflower cheese/chilli but I portion these up for DD so at least I know she's eating well. Main meals of this week for me has been bread and butter!! I just can't be bothered!!

I'm so fed up. I thought baby would be here by now as I was 2 weeks early with DD. I've been losing the mucous plug and having the runs (sorry tmi!!) We've been dtd, and I've been bouncing like a mad woman on my ball. DH has been on a rest week this week. I want this baby out before monday otherwise he's got to be back at work!!! Any other tips to get this baby moving???

Sorry you're feeling fed up, Becks. Looks like you've tried everything but a spicy curry! Is it time to break out the vindaloo?

Wow primary, you are organised. Sounds like you've made enough for the first few months at least! I know this baby could arrive anytime in the next 1 1/2 - 6 weeks, so I better get cooking today... although since he hasn't engaged yet I bet I'm closer to 6 weeks than 2!

37 weeks today !!

SunnyScot89 hope you enjoyed your last day.
YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut maybe its a good sign time will tell :)

Bluebell20 So lovely when they drop, feels like a new lease on life but then your cervix becomes a trampoline.

BeauticianNotMagician81 Pregnancy can be tough now with a DC. I find that I am utterly useless if I do not get a 2-3pm or atleast a 4-5pm nap in. Which is easier said that done when my DD wants to play all day and only in preschool three days a week.

pulpi cooking and froze 2 dishes so far but lagging behind now. My Mother has arrived so I am going to let her entertain my DD and start cooking up double batches next week. I still need a nice chill or shep pie in the freezer.

beckslovestimmy shall we start the hot curry marathon this week? :)

Cheery1 movement is freaking me out too. Some days are way better than others.

Vikkijayne2507 woot :)

knitting You ladies deserve a medal, I have tried before but never managed to finish anything. Friend of mine is a hardcore knitter and spinner and she makes my children lovely toys and sweaters. My mother in law however makes the worse knitted things I have ever seen. Cheap itchy yarn and everything comes out super wide and short (my DD is skinny and tall). Something to moan about the MIL :)

Went swimming today for a few hours to try and talk this LO into no longer being back to back, we shall see a it still feels like the kicks are in the front. Hoping now to be in the 2 week stretch. My Induction appointment is the 28th so its a bit of a 10 day countdown for the baby to arrive. I had a horrible induction last time, went on for nearly 3 days and by the end I was so exhausted and needed forceps. My lovely birth plan went right out the window and this time I am going to push the max when it comes to avoiding induction. Hot curry fest starts this week.

38+0

Hello!
pulpi batch cooking - just do as much as you can. Even if you find yourself able to cook during the first few weeks there will always be points where you'll be having a trying day or you've been out somewhere etc and be glad of a really quick proper dinner without having to cook it from scratch. So my advice would be cook as much as you have the energy and freezer space for. I've got veggie chilli, veggie Bol and two diff types of dal so far. And some beanburgers I think. I don't have space for more yet but when kitchen is done we'll get a new fridge freezer and will retire the current (pink Smeg, which I still love but is too fat!) to the garage for extra food storage. I want to make a load of pesto as well, that's always handy to have frozen. I felt a bit emosh at Tim Peake's safe arrival, I can't lie!

Bluebell dying to see the blanket! So in awe that you finished it, that's some going! I've done about 15cm of blanket!

Elliz good news on your mum, I did chuckle at her eyeing up the talent! I'm so sad about Jo Cox, too. Senseless doesn't even begin to describe it. So much going on at the moment that just leaves me shaking my head.

Thom boo to your extended stay, let's hope Tues brings diff news.

Anna hope your mum and family are doing ok and that there's been progress on the house move front.

becks with all that effort you deserve to be rewarded soon, crikey!! Work friend gave me fresh pineapple yesterday, I was like...I don't want to have this baby yet!!

Vikki happy term day!

Beaut what a giant twunt your ex sounds! Really hope you're feeling less sore and irritated (in all departments!) I know a elcs isn't ideal for you, but you'll get your head around it if that's how it has to be. New experience, at least #clutchingatstraws

julfin I was in denial/not sure of hours etc so I didn't organise DDs nursery until the April and she started in the June. I don't live in a city but I'm in Sussex, so not exactly the arse-end of nowhere but of the two nurseries I visited (needed to be near work) both had vacancies at that stage. Both my close NCT friends organised theirs around the same time, maybe a little earlier but by no means as the ink was drying on the birth certificate. DD goes to a day nursery, me and DP both get childcare vouchers and nursery does the free gov hours. It works really well for us and we'll prob sign up the new arrival fairly early as like GoingLoopy (I think?) ours has just been rated outstanding, too.

In fact we've just come back from a BBQ to celebrate that, which was nice. This evening we're off to a pool party at the local lido, complete with DD in her new all in one sun suit for a splash in the toddler pool. Bands, beer (boo) and probably a BBQ. And tomor we're off to a friend's for lunch. A BBQ. I am going to look like a veggie sausage come Monday. Makes a change from a calving heifer, I guess

DD currently napping, plumbers downstairs plumbing, me laying on the bed with a pint of water and a giant bar of Fruit & Nut which is worryingly depleted so I should probably hide it from myself now. Three crates of baby clothes in front of me that need a bit more sorting and labelling so they can go back in the loft having extracted the newborn and 0-3 stuff.

Oh and Spatone has not done the job for me. I've been taking three sachets (normal dose - 1 or for preggos it's 2) a day, with orange juice, on an empty stomach and not having breakfast until later - basically religiously following the instructions and my levels have only risen from 100 to 105 - so still way below the cutoff of 115. So having established this I rang my GP to see about getting some tablets of doom and they are making me have a chuffing phone appt so have to wait til Monday. I am so cross. First the consultant doesn't state on form who blood results should be returned to. Then nurse who took blood said someone would call if levels were low; they didn't. Then receptionist wouldn't tell me hb level over the phone. Then midwife says just call GP, they won't make you have an appt. It's just all really unhelpful when I need to get my hands on those horrible little pills asap in case there's an issue with blood loss during the birth. Ah well. Lactulose here I come...

tams your knitting story made me really smile! I'm glad you did stuff and had a mix of that and things from others! I love knitting, it rocks on so many levels! Post some pics!

photog well done for not birthing in the field! Good old poo story!!!

Well the nausea doesn't seem to have been a precursor to anything! Yesterday and today I've had what I think might be fairly irregular and very mild contractions: almost like waves of mild period pain. But they aren't really going anywhere, so I'm not excited about it.

Julfin - have you thought about a local childminder? Ted goes to an ofsted outstanding rated lady I found on the local council website who has been doing this since before we were born and shes just fab.

Re: nurseries - we're on the list for the workplace nursery, which would be our best option by about a million miles. It is physically the closest nursery to our flat (we live very close to work, and DH and I work in the same building as we work for the same organisation). It's also cheaper than other options. I'm hoping to get a space but we really need to look at other local options as well.

Hello lovely ladies/girls/ mums to be choose your preferred name

Thank you all for your lovely messages. Mum is back in the hospital with possible blood clots and is having breathing trouble. Being very well looked after though. The oncologists have established all the cancer areas now and will get a plan together in the next two weeks. Mum needs to get better before they start anything though so we will
See. I'm trying to make peace with it all so I'm prepared for all outcomes.
I'm in general having a pretty stressful time. Our buyers , who are twats, are taking forever to come back on things. So yet again we've not exchanged they've also not given us any indication on completion dates so I'm completely anxious about it now.
I then went to get hair done last night. I asked for it to be less blonde. She fucked it up and it's gone grey! They can't sort until Tuesday so I'm walking round like a bloody 80 year old!
DD being a terror and crying at me non stop for no bloody reason. I've called DH home early from stag do today as I couldn't cope with all the stress today. I'm now sat watching TV thinking about stir fry!!
Anyway enough about my drama!

thom you're doing so well. Hang on in there I know it must be tough but you're in the best place.

photographer I got DD to turn but literally scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. Now sadly she turned back just before I was induced lol. But it does work! I think this one is breach but apparently it's quite common in second/ third etc pregnancies for them to engage later?

pulpi cook whatever you can that is easy. The first few weeks you will be so tired and overwhelmed it's the last thing on your mind. Also when people ask if they can help or do anything ask them to bring a meal! I'm going to this time!

juflin is a day nursery like a preschool? Are they open in school holidays? Some shut I think. DD goes to a lovely nursery attached to a private school. It's open 8-6 all year bar Xmas week. I'm going to have to find a new one when we move but going to worry about that when everything calms down! Childminders are a good idea too.

dats that party sounds awesome! I would love that!!

becky how annoying. I'm sure it will happen so enough. I love a curry though so it's a great excuse if anything!

I really need to move now so I can get baby stuff organised. I have done nothing! But sure it will all be fine. With everything going on its actually not bothering me and I'm the last one due here so I've got ages yet ... I hope!

Hope you're all having good weekends. Thanks again for your support you're all lovely x

Sorry that posted too soon. I guess my main point was don't necessarily default to nurseries as childminders can be cheaper (mine certainly is) and more flexible.

Thom - sorry you're still stuck in hospital and doing the opposite of some of these curry-eating sexy ladies. Can you make the most of lying down and reading/catching up on telly?

Oh long time since we ran through one of these. Worth adding it in every so often? Probably needs a major update.

Jemimahpuddleduck DC2 28 EDD 20th June
Becks DC2 31 EDD 21st of June
Orchid15 26 Cardiff 23rd June
Bluebell, DC1, 31, EDD 28th June BOY
YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut, DC1, 28, DD 29th June, Scotland
Woodsy81, DC1, 34, DD 30th June, Scotland
Vickie Leeds 36 DC2 DD 15 July BOY
Mossandfern, DC1, 31, Highlands, July 3rd
Cookies, DC3, 27, Wiltshire, DD 4th July BOY
Foobio, DC1, 29, S.London/Surrey, 4th July
CultureSucksDownWords, DC2, old, DD 5 July
photographerlady, DD2, 34, DD 2nd July - Induction 28th of June
Gnat, DC1, 38, Cambs, DD 6th July
Jem, 30, London, DC1, dd 8 July
BelOfTheBall, DC1, 36, DD 8 July BOY
BeauticianNotMagician81-dc4-34-Leicestershire-DD 8th July BOY
BirdandBee, 33, Essex, DC1 8th July
Sibbs, 31, DC/D2, EDD 8th July GIRL
Cheery1, 36, London, DD 9th July BOY
Ellizardo, DC2, 39, London, 10th July GIRL
Primarynoodle, 22, nottingham, dc1, edd 12th july
Scase1firsttimemum DC1, 19, DD 12th July, Christchurch BOY
Allthegoodnamesalreadytaken, 32, DC1, Essex, 12th July, Girl
Lucia82, 33, Hampshire, DC1, EDD 14th July BOY
tams13, 28, Cardiff, EDD 15 July
wantingno2, Dc2, 23, Manchester, due 17th July
Jackchi 32,Central London, DC#1, EDD 17th July
Julfin, 34, London, DC1, EDD 19th July, BOY
Birchybaby2, 40, DC 2, EDD 18th July, staffordshire
SunnyScot, 26, DC#1, EDD 19 July, Edinburgh BOY!!
Magickal, 38, DC2, EDD 21 July, Dorset
Thistledew, 36, London, DC#1, EDD 22 July
HopesAndDreams15, 37, Worcs, DC3, EDD 21st of July BOY
Pulpi, 33, Fife, DC1, DD 25 July
Kentnurse2015, London, DC2, EDD 25th July
Kaytee1987, 28, Glasgow, DD 28th July
Thom80, 35, DC1, DD 28th July

A big surprise from me... Baby Speak was delivered by EMCS at lunchtime today! Went in to hospital this morning for another blood pressure check, which was fine. But I'd noticed that his movements were reduced, verging on non-existent. After doing a trace for an hour and a half, the decision was made to do an EMCS as he really wasn't moving even with provocations.

Everything went smoothly and he was born at about 12.45 lunchtime, at a decent weight of 7lbs 1oz, at 37+4. The reason for the lack of movement was that he was very anaemic, but no one knows why just yet. He's in SCBU, getting a blood transfusion, which is going well and his colour and stats are improving. He's absolutely beautiful and we're utterly in love with him already, even though his arrival today was a total surprise!!

Speak huge congratulations. I can't believe we have two babies born already. Hope he's well soon and wishing you a speedy recovery. Post a pic when you get chance. Have you not decided on a name yet?

Thom hope you get home soon. Baby will be fine if she arrives early I'm sure.

Cheery thank you for your kind words. Slightly less pain now. I'm hoping the midwife will say alls OK on Monday.
Babies are running out of room now so movement can be quite different. But do keep an eye on it you should still be getting some movement every day. My midwife says to me about movement at the end of every appt too.

Julfin thank you the pain has eased somewhat.
Re nurseries I've personally never bothered with school nurseries. 1 because I've needed longer hours and 2 although I combine child carets it's on a day to day basis.I think it would be hard for mine to be collected from nursery by a childminder. For what it's worth ds1 and ds2 were each in a day nursery from 3 months old. When I lived in the south they attended after school club once of school age. Now ds1 & 2 are collected by a childminder after school and ds3 does two days at nursery and two days with the childminder. Childminders are generally cheaper. The only reason I mix it up is I like them mixing with the large group of a nursery.

Pulpi get batch cooking. I remember crying a few weeks after having ds3 when DH got in from work as I couldn't get a pie out of the foil tray for the boys dinner.

Photographer I hope you manage to go into labour without an induction. Lots of movement. I need to get a birthing ball I haven't bothered this time.

Dats thank you. I am hoping to avoid an Elcs but like you say what will be will be. As long as baby gets here safely that's the most important thing.
I had to take iron tablets right near the end of pregnancy last time too. Hopefully it's not to bad. I'm surprised my iron levels are ok this time. I've suffered badly with all the other 3.

Anna you really need to lower your stress levels. Can you get booked in for a massage? I hope your mum gets some better news and a positive plan of action soon.

Our house is finally starting to look ready for baby. I've got the pushchair and buggy board ready. I also set up the Moses basket after washing all the fabrics as it smelt from the plastic it was wrapped in as we bought new.

Now I just need to get myself sorted. Hair booked for 28th June and on Wednesday this week I'm having my eyelashes done and a pedicure

37+1

Here's a picture from very soon after birth.... He's very pale due to the anaemia, but he's much pinker now 

He's adorable. He looks quite long. I don't know why but I thought you were having a girl. Beautiful boy.

I don't know his length details, but he does look a decent size! I haven't been able to hold him yet, as he's hooked up to so much stuff, and needs the oxygen in the incubator at the mo. I did get to sit with him and stroke him for a while :-)

Speak- Huge congratulations on the birth of your beautiful little boy he is so adorable xx hope ur doing well to sending you my best wishes

Speak and Speak Jnr! Congratulations!!!! He's absolutely gorgeous! You sound so calm and he looks similarly chillaxed, what a lovely weekend surprise. Aw off to sleep now with big grin on my face.

Anna - sorry to hear your ma's back in but I'm a big believer in plans and that will no doubt focus everything in the next couple of weeks. I really admire you and don't blame you for one second in recalling oh! Jeez I had to lie down today after DRIVING to the new house, not even walking there...so respect in other words (especially when hairdresser/buyers/DC choose today to be a right pain in bum). Thinking of you.

Beautician - nice treatments! You deserve them! Enjoy.

speak huge congratulations he's lovely. So pleased they caught it all in time and were able to deliver. Hoping you both manage to get out of hospital soon!