May 2017 #10 - To be prepared or not prepared

[RasperryInAMelon]

Here's a link to the last thread and photo updates just incase anyone's looking for anything!

Thread 9

Photo Page - Bump Update

I don't have access to a desktop right now though so can't post the link to the GoogleDrive spreadsheet, but it's a few posts down in the previous thread!

Happy chatting!

@coxsorangepippin Bub over here responds to DH voice too! He also kicks loads when he hears one of my friends voices who I speak to a lot on Skype. I haven't tried any music yet, he was kicking away to blink 182 and alkaline trio the other day while I was cleaning!

@ShiniBerry my rib pain is getting much worse now 😩 DH and I usually eat on the sofa, but I can't lean over to eat now so we're going to have to start making use of the Dining table I think...

I've finally (31 wks in!) got round to buying a maternity swimsuit. It was only when I put it on I realised just how much my boobs have grown. I took DD swimming earlier and even she noticed (she's at the age where every little thing Must be commented on ).

That sounds scary nurse. Think an early night is a good idea. Is he going to be able to help out at nights once the baby is here?

Hi all,
Happy Birthday Birthday Girls 😘

Monitor wise, we have an angel care one with a mat, will be using that for baby once it moves into own room and trying to go without for toddler, however it is so so handy for seeing what he is up to!
Placenta, I had the injection last time and will again, no issues with milk interference, and tbh was still a bit fiddly to come out so I think I made the right choice for me. The idea of a lotus birth is not for me, but then I'm not one for turning it into health capsules or burying it under a tree either!

We have been having a little re organise today, my husband is such a flake with this stuff and just wonders off. Hips and back are terrible so I'm having a break!

I am in insomnia club, sleeping terribly which is such hard work with a toddler the next day.

Have to say I'm getting a bit jealous of those of you with early May DD's, I've still got 9 long weeks of this, fingers crossed this one is a week early like my first. Not trying to jinx anyone but I still can't believe no one has had their baby yet! Haven't we got a couple of sets of twins amongst us? Surely they will be a bit early (no idea if that's a real thing or not!)

@EsmesBees normally he's so well controlled, but when he gets tired and/or stressed it starts. I must admit we have been so busy getting everything ready, we haven't been looking after ourselves very much. We have next Friday off together, so I'm going to plan a little DH/DW day of maybe the cinema, dinner out and treats.

@peasandquiet I'm CONVINCED I'm going to be early. Utterly convinced. Scan last Monday showed Bub to be 4lbs already and quite long, so I think I'm going to late april/early may rather than late may. I'll happily accept him in the next 4 weeks as my inlaws are on holiday I've got a friend in Oz who had her baby at 34 weeks and he was 9lb2!!!!

Many happy returns to the birthday girls.

I remember seeing lotus birth on that BBC documentary about different types of birth a while back, wasn't the lady putting dried herbs on the placenta to stop it from smelling?! Not for me! When I went in for my CS with DS at least 3 people asked if I wanted to keep the placenta (I did not). When I was doing my birth plan for natural birth I put down managed delivery as understood it meant less chance of post partum haemorrhage but not sure if that is correct. I just assumed once baby was out I wouldn't really care!

We don't have a car here but will be getting one when we move back as we live on a hill without accessible paths. Another one that will need to learn to drive, not looking forward to that.

We have a Phillips non-wifi video monitor which is basic but very handy for seeing what the young man is up to, thankfully he hasn't learned to do this yet: www.fox13news.com/trending/242474019-story

Lullaby- I saw that video yesterday, I reminded myself I was very lucky that my 14mo hadn't even tried to climb out of her cot yet!
I was up and out of mine at 8mo, so I've tried to convince myself it's because she's in a growbag, as they didn't exist when I was a baby!
Talking of being early, I actually hope I am! This pregnancy has been tiring and I want all my aches and pains to go away now! I still have 7+4 weeks to go, of which 5 are all work!
Although I did have some Physio on Friday and the lovely lady confirmed my pelvis had slipped out of place and her magic hands have taken away lots of the pain, so now it's just aches and sciatica I have to deal with!

Hi all just checking in - happy birthday to the birthday girls!!
I'm right at the end of May due 30th and currently debating what to do re annual leave
Was planning to have two weeks Off at Easter of annual leave, return to work for 3 weeks and finish on 12th may
However now am thinking of moving the annual leave to the beginning of maternity, working straight through to end of April and then just finishing then
We were going to do the nursery at Easter but have already done that as I got impatient!! So thinking this might be the best option!
Don't want to extend my return date so makes sense to me to just finish earlier?! X

Shini we did our NCT all this weekend, and then we have a breastfeeding class this week. It was really good. Nice to meet people - everyone was very friendly - and also really helpful. We covered birth and looking after a baby, and it was good to get us thinking about options and what we might want. I was a bit worried that it would push us in one direction but the emphasis was very much on thinking about what's best for you and making choices where possible, which was really nice.

I'm the opposite WishI. This baby can take as long as it wants. Not only is the baby's room still full of moving boxes, I would like to have a little bit of time off work with DD at nursery before the new one comes, and I'm working until a week before my due date so hoping this one is late like it's sister.

Thanks for the baby monitor advice, I think I'm going down the video route, but not actually sure I will need one straight away.

@1004Rise that placenta thing is certainly new to me! How on earth does that work practically? I don't know but I'd imagine it would start to smell/get infected in that time, and the baby would be sort of attached still.

@ShiniBerry with you on the ribs thing (though I've moaned a little too much about it!) but mine is the same stinging type pain regardless of whether I lie on my left or right. It's great you're starting NCT, I also booked them pretty last minute.

@nursebickypegs that sounds like a really tough night, I hope you have both managed to rest up today. Interesting you think you'll be early, my scan last week estimated 4lb 2oz which seems really big at what was 31 weeks - but I don't want her to arrive early as there's every chance she'd arrive at work

Esme - I think if I wasn't hurting and feeling quite so sorry for myself it'd be a bit different!
I only work 4 days a week so we do get time together at the weekend, but I just can't get down onto the floor properly to play anyway! I just feel so guilty all the time!
When I go on leave DD will be changing nurseries, and instead of going for 4 days she'll be going for 3 mornings and a full day, so hopefully that'll work out...

@mrspage1985 that's what I'm doing, last working day is 28 April.

@1004Rise I'll be induced due to my age (42) to avoid I'll go over time. They tend to still give you some time in the water depending on progress but it's definitely a question I'll need to ask next time I see obstetrician.

I've chased up my appointment for 32 weeks which will happen at 32+6 but just as well as I had been put into planning for scan but not for clinic with endocrinologist and obstetrician and there was no more room as the clinic would be shorter! So I'm now in the other hospital but on the same day.

Last night was a slight blur as I had a bit of cramps and unable to go to toilet, then followed by sudden Diarrhoea and my face had the colour of a sheet. Luckily after that last bout I started feeling better but it's all still very bloated. I'm not sure if baby had been pushing against my bowel perhaps? Felt lots of movement so didn't call triage or 111 but will keep an eye on it.
Today I've been eating normally but maybe I'm not drinking enough water?
@jennymac31 are you feeling better now?
I'm not too worried about having a monitor really as I'm thinking baby will be in the same room as me for 6 months and so I'll have time to consider whether I'll need one.
I'd like to have a decent wardrobe to stow things in but at the moment it would be a puzzle as to where we fit everything! There's a massive PILE of baby stuff in the spare bedroom an the spare bed is taken up as well with lots of stuff. I'd just like to get organised but as long as that double bed is needed in there, I'm in a muddle!
What we did do today was move our bed 90deg so that there's room for baby to be next to me. I'm so pleased about that.
Oops sorry about loooooong post

rise I've never heard of lotus birth

esme sure was a yogi tea :)

jenny even though it doesn't stop you feeling like poop I hope it's reassured you a little. Maybe another day of rest might help a little?

bickypegs that sounds rough, I hope you are both ok?

Had such a lovely day today after yesterday's write off. Went to my first Lots for Tots sale with a pregnant friend and bought a Bumbo seat and tray and a few cute bits of clothing. We then popped to a New Look & H&M (Hemel Hempstead for those nearby) that does maternity wear in store!! I got a couple of bright tops, sick if wearing black and grey. I then made a couple of yummy curry dishes with enough for dinner in the week too....And I'm not totally wiped out!!! Woooohoooo!!!

Arghh I find it so frustrating when I keep forgetting that my bodies not capable of doing what I want it to do! Had such a productive morning, car cleaned, 2 loads of washing done and food shop done. Then fell asleep on the sofa with the other half after lunch, which killed my hip! After that cleaned the house, made dinner and made the lunches for tomorrow and my body is screaming everywhere!

Definitely need to remember to take it a little easier! Just thought the nap might have made this afternoon a little easier 😂

Is the injection for placenta delivery not just a synthetic version of oxytocin? So I can see how having extra in your system could confuse your body into not making as much. But then you'd have it already so surely that would still help your milk production?!? Like everything else leaves me confused!! The further I get in this pregnancy the less interference I seem to want in the birth (my pre-pregnant self would think I was insane ) but this was one of the things I thought was a good idea because I think that hour of peace and quiet with just the three of us would be important. Definitely not up for carrying it round in a bag and rubbing herbs into it though!

I'm convinced this baby will be late, I was 2 weeks late if it hadn't been Christmas time I think my mum would have been induced. I'm also not completely convinced about my due date, I think it should be a bit later, so I can see me going to the end of May. I am looking forward to stopping work though. Really not feeling like working tomorrow!

@PeachIcedT I know!! I have images of getting halfway across the room with the baby and getting pulled back as if it was a bungee cord 

@Rustler74 So if you're past a certain age they induce you before your due date? That will be rubbish if you don't get the birth you want

ticky I hear your frustration!! That's what seems to upset me most.... we gotta remember we are growing an entire human being inside us! And by the way it sounds like you got Loads done today!!

Thanks rustle everyone I speak to thinks it seems like a better idea so going to make some moves to change the annual leave.

Am shattered, we were going to do a car boot today to get rid of all crap wonderful possessions my husband has hoarded over the years (he's a hoarder and I am thrower awayer!) but weather looked horrible at 5am this morning so ditched that idea! Instead I touched up all the paintwork around the house (2 big Labrador who go on daily walks/swims and ivory walls do not mix well!) so there was loads to do. Then Sunday lunch out - am shattered now.

Countdown is on 6 weeks left at work, eve if I can't move my annual leave dates!

Very surprised we haven't had a birth on this thread yet! X

badger I did and feel good it's all done, but I can barely move now 😂 Even the other half was telling me to 'just sit down' but I wanted to make the most of having energy for once!

Phew just caught up!! Busy here as usual!

at the lotus birth thing. Why on earth does pregnancy/birth make a minority of people go quite mad?! All the different animal species I've seen give birth just bite/tear theirs off within a few minutes of giving birth so why one would need to leave it on for that length of time is beyond me!!

@Tickyboovicki that's the problem though we wake up & feel normal so do all the things we normally would at normal speed til we hit the wall and remember we're not normal and collapse in a heap At least you got lots done before you crashed

Re the injection for placenta, can't remember where I'd seen it. Yes, the stuff is essentially the synthetic oxytocin but it's to do with how your body processes the synthetic version differently to the one it produces naturally. If there's any risk of PPH obviously the best thing to do would be to have the injection. Interesting read here (only just skimmed it though!) midwifethinking.com/2015/03/11/an-actively-managed-placental-birth-might-be-the-best-option-for-most-women/

I've not decided either way for this birth. I was after a natural 3rd stage for first birth but as I ended up delivering in theater they recommended the managed option, which I agreed to. In hindsight I'm not sure if there's actually a higher risk of PPH in theater (guess there could well be) but it's probably a lot more efficient for them to manage it so they can assess tears and stitch you up (if needed) and get you out to recovery ward asap, rather than waiting however long in theater for the placenta to arrive.

Re lotus birth - not for me, but the cord that is left on (until it falls off after a few days) is gross anyway, it dries out so I doubt there'd be any infection risk from a lotus birth.

Delayed cord clamping however seems entirely sensible and I believe it's now the 'standard' - although worth bringing to the doctor's attention if you end up needing a doctor to be present as well as a midwife, as I'm not sure they'd be as keen for it as the midwives might be.

PS Rise I've looked and I can't find any significant evidence that synthetic oxytocin would reduce milk production (and common sense tells us that it wouldn't as you said, as oxytocin encourages milk letdown!). There is however a Cochrane review on giving synthetic oxytocin for the third stage of labour to reduce postpartum haemorrhage - I'm sure significant haemorrhage and subsequent anaemia would have a negative effect on breastfeeding... So I'd be happy to have it based on what I read.

@Tickyboovicki I hear you. What the hell I was thinking while dedicating last few days to moving three lawns, doing baby shopping, cooking, house clean up etc. on full speed? I can barely move now and my back is screaming at me.

My OH keeps telling me to slow down but he's been working 20 hours per day over the last few months (in his daily job plus decorating the spare room which would still require renovation work even if the baby would not be on its way). I feel I cannot give him any extra workload as he would simply collapse from exhaustion. I hope the baby won't arrive early as I won't have a chance to pack the hospital bag before middle of April.

Ahh newbie sounds like he's working hard! Hopefully it will ease off soon and you will have a bit of time to relax together!