November 2017 #4: Bump botherers, nesting and maternity leave!

[GingerHanna]

In which we swat away unwanted hands, perform military operations every night to roll over in our sleep, clean the kitchen cupboards for the eleventy billionth time and count down the days to our maternity leave!

Previous thread here.

Click here for The List.

Feet have officially swollen up! Have never experienced this before. I was stood up a lot yesterday doing house stuff, and last night it felt like I was walking on bags of water, yuck!! Slept with feet up on 4 cushions. I must remember to sit down more!

@Hazandduck I've been experiencing swelling feet and sausage fingers. I am living in sandals as wearing shoes makes it worse. Also spending as much time as poss with my feet propped up, also drinking more water is supposed to help or so I've heard...

Another one venturing into the land of swollen. It's not too bad right now... just a little on my hands but enough that my wedding ring is off as it's tight and don't want to end up cutting it off!

Oh the first baby of the group!

Huge congratulations... she is beautiful.

Ladies who have swollen ankles, mine really became swollen in the last two weeks(not saying that labour in imminent for you). I strongly recommend some ankle and lower leg massages! Helps you feel relaxed too!

I have some rather sexy hospital support stockings on at the moment to prevent my legs becoming swollen along with a daily blood thinning jab. However all this is made worthwhile by looking into the little glass cot and seeing the baby!

Midwife on the way over... reduced movements all day. Have tried all the usual - cold sweet drinks, laying on side etc. He's moving but it's gentle... not his usual dancing.

Sure it's nothing but cannot allow myself to take the risk.

@Hazandduck I had at my baby shower and face / feet swelled as well as hands so haven’t worn rings for a few weeks now

@GingerHanna hope you’re ok I had to do that yesterday and it is scary but hopefully Midwife will reassure you xx

Midwife checks okay but been sent to hospital for monitoring anyway. Strapped up now.

@theotherendofthesockportal, just popped onto the thread for the first time in a while and see that huge congratulations are in order! I hope you and Beatrice are both doing well

That makes it all a bit more real!! I really must pack the hospital bag

CTG all good. Seems baby has shifted position so his back to to my front and therefore kicks are duller and not felt so often.

Back tomorrow to be sure and also check amniotic fluid levels as they were a bit low today.

@GingerHanna glad baby is ok. Ooo back to your front is good- baby obviously knows it's not too long till they need to appear and knows this position will be less uncomfortable for you x

&@butterybollocks any chance of those Ewan instructions pls?

Congratulations on your gorgeous baby :) can't wait for our little one to make an appearance 1 month to go today !!

Ooohhh so sorry @lydiangel83 I didn't get a chance today (got my days of the week mixed up and thought today was Monday - baby brain!!). Will get a pic tomorrow. Today has been a bit non stop with DD's activities!

Thinking of you @GingerHanna, keep us updated!

Me and Beatrice are doing well, I’m exhausted and can’t wait to get home to my own bed!

I’m sure it’s a matter of days before we have another baby in the group, I’m so excited - who will it be?!

It's all starting to feel scarily close now. Even more so now Sock has her beautiful baby in her arms. Have made a concerted effort this weekend to ensure we're baby ready. All bags are packed & in the car, crib, Moses basket, cot & even pram are all made up, baby monitor, Ewan & mobile set up on the crib & curtains & lampshades swapped between the dcs rooms. All that is left to do is for DP to build the wardrobe in the nursery when it arrives on Saturday & then all her clothes can go away properly.

Find out on Friday if I'm having an elcs. If so it could be as early as 3 weeks tomorrow! The next two weeks are going to be full on at work trying to get everything handed over so trying to minimise what needs doing in my week off before baby arrives so I can rest.

Hope you get on ok at the hospital tomorrow @GingerHanna. Front to back is the best position for him to be in. DS was back to back & this baby is too currently. A back to back labour is not fun, if I'm not having elcs I'll be on the spinning babies website trying to turn her round.

If anyone else is having an ELCS (there are a few of us, I think) please can you let me know at what gestation they book you in? I've been told it will be between week 39 and 40. Really want to know when my baby will arrive but won't know until a week on Thursday!

Congrats on the baby! I’m 37 weeks tomorrow, I have an appointment next Thursday. I have gestational diabetes. It’s a follow up scan to check up on the baby’s growth. She’s fallen a few percentile in weight over the last 10 weeks, so they said if she’s still a lower percentile, they’ll induce me that day. I’d be 38 +4. But then the midwife said, I have a feeling you’ll go into labour before that though. Starting to freak out! Our bedside cot isn’t here yet!! its all starting to happen isnt it!

@Zampa I'll be 36+5 when I have my appointment & they book you in for 39-40 weeks depending on availability.

@lydiangel83 here you go!

@zampa I'm have an appointment when I'm 37+1 (gestational diabetes clinic) and they've said they'll book the elcs then for 39+ weeks. DD was a booked section for 39+5 but she tried to escape at 39+4 so I'm hoping for 39 weeks exactly this time although the NHS is more relaxed about it than I am!

Thanks team!

@butterybollocks I'm worried about going into labour prior to my planned ELCS, based on Dad's early arrival. What happened with DD - did you get a section after going into labour?

Yes - she was breech. I've asked this time as it is purely elective and they've said if I'm booked for a section and go into labour, i'll have a section. I'm a little worried about what they'd do if I went into labour in the next week before the section is officially booked but the request is in my notes and I'm prepared to be pushy if needs be.

Had a dream last night that baby arrived and I didn't have any nursing bras - they're the only thing I haven't bought yet! Might try to get them today and pack the hospital bag. DH got up and asked me to write him a list of things to do before baby arrives, I think it's just hit us both that it's only a matter of weeks now.

Ah thanks so much @butterybollocks that’s helpful.

I’m 38 wks on Weds @Topsyloulou still need to set up crib and monitor and nursery not finished but sufficient for use for next few weeks / months. I’ve been 3/5s engaged for a few wks now and no progress although every twinge and pain I wonder if it’s a contractiosn!

Am ALMOST at the point where I just want it to happen now, but not quite :)

Just been to the midwife & need to go for a growth scan as shes measuring too small. Bump only measured 33 weeks & I'm 36. She's dropped from 70th centile to 10th. Movements etc are all fine but she wants me to get checked. She thinks they might want to do elcs earlier than 39 weeks if she is measuring that small. She did say it could be down to the way she measures as opposed to my normal mw but best to get checked. I'm still having the brown bleeding which she said is nothing to worry about & will likely continue until she's born but the two things together are making me worry. She's going to ring & book the scan as soon as she has a gap in appointments. Hoping they've got something today.