May Mummies, w/c 23th April 07 1 week till May- Woohayy!

[Mrsjaffabiffa]

Morning............

bloomin nora I cant imagine ever doing that no matter how much I would like to so that i could then spend the money on lots of lovely things for myself - shallow I know but I speak the truth well actually it would prob end up being spent on grocery's in waitrose.

Another mad weekend coming up my other half is off for a final pre baby drunken night of god knows what with his friends in Brighton. He has also invited some friends over for dinner on Sunday night! So help me god if he co9mes home on Sunday and is then too hungover to actually cook anything I will kill him. Those of you in the East End if you hear of some mad woman stringing her fiance up by his bits it was me.

Sorry i do waffle on.

Ladies have a lovely weekend enjoy the sunshine.

Afternoon all, you have been very chatty today! Taken me ages to catch up.

Re norks, mine are huge at the moment but it wont last. Im a 36dd right now, by the time im finished feeding they deflate to a 32b\c and are merely flapping envelopes in the breeze. It is so disappointing

Cam i too am trying to think of the positives about the section - No ring of fire, no gaping wound down below (i know we will have one we can see), afterpains may be better as we will be drugged. Thats it, you got anymore? You gave birth at the Portland? Bloomin posh there, did you have one of those lovely midwives that were on the tv?

SOH i have an audience normally when i give birth. My mom, exp, sister, ds, friend were there last time! It was so quick i barely noticed them all though. I just zone out and am not really aware of anything else. With DS#3 i had exp, mom and sister. It was quite long (well 3 hours) and i was pacing round alot away from most people. I wouldnt have wanted anyone that i wasnt totally comforatable with near me though. You could blame the midwife, she wont mind. Just explain she has said only J and maybe your mum can be there.

AM i couldnt get the fudge! The fudge shop that has been there for at least 20 years has gone! I was so upset i nearly cried. It was aleays the same guy in there and he showed you how to make it and everything So dh and i are off to another good fudge shop tomorrow in Tavistock, very good too but still so sad at my fudge shop going.

Cant remember what else you have been talking about, prg brain addled me again.

Baby going nuts, am sat on my birth ball. He went transverse just now then gave up and stuck his head back under my ribs. I know all the children have gone away for the weekend but there is really no need for him to appear to fill our time up

Skytv, hope you enjoy your peaceful weekend too, it will probably be your last too will it?

Toomanyprojects will be thinking of you tomorrow

Mrsjb at Maddie, please hug her from me. The poor little thing, Hugs did that last year in a paddling pool. I was one of those pool like ones, he went down and dh had to zoom over fast to rescue him. Poor thing was all and breath holding for a few minutes. Scary, scary

LG&T I've thought of another good thing about having a cs, no hoovering, ever again, well for at least 6 months if you can drag it out You understand now why I am having a cs, after being at the Portland I am obviously too posh to push I had a lovely Ugandan mw, but the consultants really dictated all...

Well I have to declare I feel more 'laboury' now than I have done so far. I've had really bad Braxton Hicks all day, the sort that make you say ow out loud! Now sitting down at the computer I just feel very crampy, like a period pain but constant not actually contractions. I've got a similar pain in my lower back too. I actually feel a bit scared. Knowing me, nothing will come of it but because I started with waters breaking last time I haven't had this early bit before and I'm not sure what to think. It feels better when I walk around. Do you think something may be happening or am I just feeling hopeful?

Who knows Abby? I have days where I have period type cramps in my back and lower abdomen, even coming in waves at times. I find I can bear them if I wander around, sitting and definitely lying down, impossible. It goes eventually. Still, you'll be posting in an hour to say you've given birth now I've said that.

I think it's bath, paracetamol and warm drink. If it eases off it's nothing if it continues it might be something!

Wise words from SOH.

Maddie is fine, I'm sure she will have no lasting effects.

I've done my bump pic, see I do have one now, yey!!!!!!! Oh only look if you don't mind a bit of flesh I've gone the whole hog and showed you some skin.

hi all, quickie while Arlen is snoozin and dd is watching film, got him home yesterday and its great, am being totally calm now hes here, the crib was waiting on the doorstep when i got home, yipeeee,

Last night wasnt too bad, we went to bed at 11pm and he was pretty restless until i turned on the light - realised it was probably not pitch black in hospital, ended up pulling crib closer and stroking him that seemed to work - fed him again at 1am, he didnt totally settle then fed again at 4am and slept solid till 8am,

He has fed and slept well today feeing every 3 hours, he is not latching on for long times - he will have a few mouthfuls then let go and root around, so i have been offering him breast 1st then waiting for him to get drowsy from trying so hard then giving him bottle of expressed breast milk, then when he has finished i am expressing, will keep this up until he is strong enough to bf consistantly

Will post some pics on my picturtrail tomorrow or sunday

Hope ev1 has a lovely weekend, looks like good weather, cant believe pretty soon you are all going to have your babies too, cant wait

AM how are you getting on, how have your nights been so far?

C-sec pluses for me would include the whole organised bit. You know when it is, no is this it or isn't it, do we fill the pool or don't we, do we call the midwife or don't we?

Toomanyprojects - Best of luck tomorrow. Can't wait to see your birth announcement.

SOH, I'm sorry love, but you MUST put your foot down. The fact of the matter is that you clearly do not feel comfortable about having lots of people around. I am sure you must have read/ heard that lots of women's labour slows down or stops when they get to hospital because they're in unfamiliar surroundings and don't feel comfortable. Well the same thing could easily happen to you. You're in your room, trying to relax and there's feckin 5 people you just know are straining to hear what's going on. It's not good. If you were fine with it, then it would make no difference, but if you don't feel comfortable then your labour could stop. It even happens to animals in the wild. If they sense danger, then the labour stops and the mother goes off to find somewhere safe. Please consider saying to the extended family that you will phone them once baby is born and checked and you're changed into fresh clothes etc. They'll still be seeing Mathilda when she's brand new. I don't want to see anyone for WEEKS, never mind hours after the birth or during the birth!

Cameroonmama - I used to work for GuinnessUDV/ Diageo. (Good Oirish girl ) I was told whilst there, that the Guinness sold in Africa (Nigeria anyway) is actually "gone off" Guinness. Something to do with the first time they shipped it out in wood casks it re-fermented or went funny and they didn't realise and the Nigerians went mad for it anyway. When the company realised, they had to keep shipping it out in those conditions so that the taste would stay the same. So note to any Guinness drinkers not to partake of the black stuff whilst in Lagos... It will be vile!

Mrs JB - Glad that Maddie is ok. I bet you were more shocked than her.

Had my mum's dad and his wife here all day. Mum has gone back to their house tonight, so that's the end of her visit. Means I can go and wash all my cups now. She's a mad clean freak, but it means she likes to rinse cups as soon as they're finished with, which of course means they're left with nasty tea stains in them. I'm not very houseproud, but I HATE that. We got on pretty well. I've been a bit tired and crabby some days, but it's been ok. We nearly fell out just before she left, because she was telling granddad that I was glad I left uni very shortly after starting. I was in the sense that I realise now that the course I was doing would have been feck all good to me, but she seems to think that's the reason I left. Anyway, I said that I actually left becuase I couldn't afford it and she started saying she had had money put away and that she'd told me I could move back in with her. I said I was hardly likely to want to move back in, having been always told that "no grandchild of hers was being brough up in her house" and she said it was different by then because I'd broken up with DD's dad... I suppose we all see situations our own way, but IMO she's got rose tinted glasses on over this. It's really annoying.

Anyway. Hope you're all ok. SKYTV - hope you don't have too long to wait! I'd love to go into labour tonight. I'm fed up with being pregnant now. Plus I have loads of cakes in from the rellies being over so the midwives would have a ball.

Got feck all sleep last night. DH was very VERY norty and was out til 3am this morning. So I woke up at 1.22am as usual, and was so cross that DH wasn't home that I didn't sleep until long after he was back. Was hot, uncomfortable and fuming. Never a good combo. He's rather sheepish this evening. Told him if he did it again he'd be the last to know I was in labour, if at all. Not chasing him out of (underground) poker clubs (with no mobile phone signal) whilst having contractions. Silly arse. Oh, and the "deal" re the beer/ sweets is off, in case you haven't guessed. He failed first, I might add!

Lupins- Lovely to hear Arlen is home and doing well. Glad to hear he is bf a little.

MrsJaffa,

Just came home from my group B strep test, and I must say your midwife did it wrong. I got swabbed in the fanjo and in my rectum, and then the swab was placed nicely in a tube.

Funny story. I took ds with me today and when I was getting the strep B test done he starts yelling "Show, Show" which is what he says when he wants to watch tv. My ob/gyn and I both laughed because I said, "No babe, there's nothing here you want to see"

Evening lay-dees,

One more essay done, one more to go for this shite arse unit, then one more unit to go and im done..so hopefully if i cane it tomorrow by this time tomorrow night I might only have my CV to type up for the front and a bit of final cross checking to do and im done with the bugger..When ive finished it im going to do a little dance to celebrate and you can all join me in front of your PC's..then the DH'S/DP'S/LO'S will really think we have all lost it!

Glad you got through the visit OK TYG..at your DH though-there is now worse feeling than lying in bed feeling incredibly corss with your DH but being unable to get hold of him as he is in some 'nite' club or somesuch..I was thinking about DH at Easter and his similar actions only this morning and Im still mad about it weeks later so big hugs and a ruddy big bag of spice to you m'dear..

Forgot to say you are a bad un for going into work April-but also ask, how on earth did you manage it?When DD was Ellas age I could barely even get dressed!

Lovely bumps lwatkins, Cam and Mrs JB-all very neat and not accompanied by a Scoot style fat back as well you lucky buggers..

Dont worry MKG-My MIL is STILL banging on about 'how ever will I cope with two'..ruddy hell it does my head in-have started to reply by declaring breezily that I will most probably simply have a nervous breakdown and end it all with my head in the oven which shuts her up alright..But I beg of you, how can anyone think its helpful to continuously point out to a woman 4 weeks away from giving birth that she in all liklihood wont cope..its only common sense and good manners to refrain surely...

Im going to Morrisons tomorrow and am going to sample the Gingerbread..Ive never even seen a Birds in Derbyshire SOH, but if you know where there is one near the 'Moorside, you point me in the right direction..

What do you drive largegandt with all your kiddywinks?(Never thought of that before)Im assuming some kind of Sharabang to fit them all in, or are you glamour Mum with a huge 4 by 4 and even huger shades..(I have the shades but only because they cover the dark circles below eyes-but not the 4 by 4-though DH has lent me the big car to go home in, not greatly looking forward to him seeing the large scrape I put down the side of it yesterday in a car park.)

Hope DD stays asleep tonight as dont think I can face a repeat of last night with her-will just have to hand her the Calpol and the spoon and she will have to fend for herself if so..bless her, she is asleep like a little angel now though-famous last words..

night all..

thanks everyone for your thoughts - was hoping I'd go into labour naturally but the midwife did an internal and baby's head was back out of the pelvis - a long haul was how she put it! Just realised that I've got no info at all on the hospital I'm booked in for, presumably as it's not the nearest one - originally our maternity unit was supposed to be shut or a midwife only led unit by now.

With DS I was sent home after they couldn't break my waters at 40 + 6 so am just hoping it doesn't happen again this time. Children were very excited to see a crib in our bedroom today - that's how organised I haven't been! - we told them very early on so they have waited what must be ages and ages for a 6 and 4 yr old.

SOH - hope you have sorted out ref your family all wanting to turn up. What a nightmare - as everyone has said this is your time with your other half and little one and when you have a picture in your head about how it's going to be, it's not surprising you feel the way you do. My Mum won't see the baby until she is about a week old as she lives in Devon and I'm afraid that means MIL will be looking after the older ones and will get to see new baby first. With DD1 bacause I was 2 weeks late MIL was on holiday in Florida (she's an August birthday and we have problems with party invites now!) and we kept on getting phone calls right until she was on her way - the pressure to go into labour was a nightmare!

Regarding the jump from one to two, obviously everyone is different, including the parents babies and children. I remember it being hard early on especially at teatime and bedtime - had to try doing different things in different orders -had thought I could feed LO whilst reading big one a story but it doesn't work if baby is yelling and colicky! A Graco swing came in very useful at this point!We had a problem with jealousy but a friend with children the same age found that her daughter took no notice at all of the baby until he crawled and then war broke out. In the meantime we had got over the jealous bit - it was very wearing as she wanted to do everyone to "help" - choose nappy, clothes, etc.

A couple of my friends have three children and one has found the jump 2 - 3 worse than 1 - 2. I know that we will be completely disorganised at home for at least the next three months - the extension roof will be on soon and the builders will be breaking through into the lounge and our bedroom (!) soon. DD1 has SATS in May and DS starts school in Sept so loads of challenges. DH is very laid back (too much I reckon!) - comment at breakfast yesterday - what are we doing for the Bank Holiday weekend - I thought we could go camping.... look of total disbelief on my face! Had to remind him we haven't got any camping equipment including a tent and we will be five plus a labrador..

enjoy the weekend everyone and hopefully our crib will be used Sunday or at least Monday night!

Evening all

I managed to well and truly show myself up at pre-school today, ds2 was adament he didnt want to stay and was crying for me to take him home, on the advice of the staff there i stayed with him for a bit in the hope he would soon clam down and forget about me but it didnt work. After an hour it was decided that his teacher would take him from me and i would go and sit in the parents room for a bit in the hope he would eventually calm down and if he didnt then i would take him home. This sounded fine in theory but as soon as his teacher took him from me ds2 started really crying and trying to cling to me, it broke my heart and i just managed to rush out of the door before i burst into tears myself. I tried to escape before anyone saw me but one of the other members of staff had followed me out and caught me She tried to reassure me but all i could do was sob back at her, a bit like when a child has been crying for ages and cant talk properly, that was me She was very kind though, gave me a huge box of tissues and then after 10mins she popped back to see me to inform me that although he was still sat on his teachers lap having a cuddle ds2 had stopped crying and was watching the others play and that she thought i should go home. By this time i had stopped crying (probably much to her relief) and after going into the toilets to wash my face i went home. I thought i would be fine although i felt guilty for leaving ds2 there but as soon as dh saw me he knew something was wrong. The poor man only had to say 'whats wrong' and the floodgates opened again The next hour and a half went so slow, i spent the whole time checking my mobile for missed calls and imagining ds2 in class crying for me. As it turned out he was ok, he stayed close to his teacher for the whole time and didnt really do much but he didnt cry again. Still didnt stop me from feeling guilty for leaving him when he was obviously distressed Kids are great at making us feel bad arent they?

Ds1 has got his Rock Challenge competition tomorrow, Ive still been unable to get tickets (another thing for me to feel guilty for) but i think he understands. He has to be at the school by 8.30 in the morning so no lie in for me. He also has to take enough food and drink to last him until he gets home at 10.30pm, so I guess he will be taking a small suitcase lol. Hes an (almost)10yr old boy, do the people who arrange these things now how much kids his age eat and drink in a day lol.

I guess I should really go to bed so that im up nice and early. My back is still aching now and again but luckily its nowhere near as bad as last night. Hopefully i can have another great nights sleep fingers crossed.

Oh and before i go Good Luck for tomorrow TMP and hope you are soon holding your little one, sending you speedy labour vibes

Re weeing and pooing after birth - when trying to poo make sure your toes are relaxed and breathe out - that relaxes the sphincter (and worked for me with piles - the glamour!)

SOH - you poor dear! Stand your ground. This is the time for you and DH. You cannot know what will happen and if, God forbid and I am sure that this will not be the case, there were complications then you don't want to be worrying about the reactions of the audience in the next room. I really really would say to family that you will call as soon as you can but that you want to be able to concentrate on the three of you (you, DH and LO)

Had lovely day shopping with my mum today buying all those last minute things. Having trouble with shoes - my feet seem to have gone even wider (this is a v bad thing)Will they go back to pre preg size or is this it? Does anyone know?

Lupins - lovely to think of you at home with your little boy.

TMP - good luck.

By the way - why am I the only one who seems to be up at this time most nights? NOt that I am recommending it you understand!!!!

aaaawww Pebble, poor you, we have been there too, you know he will be fine by the end of next week, ds runs off now at pre-school with barely a backward glance.

I forgot to say yesterday that dh always says the difference between 1 and 2 kids is like the difference between having a pet and owning a zoo

Off this morning to an NCT baby sale, not that I need anything, just more to go all gooey over teeny tiny baby things..

TMP good luck looking forward to some news

SOH you really wont want to be bombarded with visitors, with dd I was in hospital for 10 days and it was sort of controlled - however it was still too many it wore me out, with Arlen I said no and still ahve only seen 2 friends, my mum was staying so she has seen him and dp's family came to hospital after a week, I am going to start seeing people next week, be strong hun the last thing you need is to be pandering to other people especially straight after have lo

Pebble - hugs to you, it is sooo hard leaving then, dd used to go to a creche and the 1st few times were really hard - I never left her side for 1st 18months, it does get easier, I bet after about 3 times of going he has made friends and is enjoying himself, its just unnatural for us to leave them - especially to let strangers deal with them when they are in that state,

I gave in and gave him a formula feed last night he was just having none of it (bf), 1st feed (ebm) went ok but he only had half then 2 hours later wanted more then 2 hours later more - so I made it a formila feed and it saw him through, he had some more this morning but will get back to breast and expressing today, was just having none of it at 4am (neither of us), oh well what will be will be not going to feel like a bad mummy, will just be a shame if he doent get better at bf as I have spent out a bit on nice bf bras lol!!- does anyone have any tips to keeping them latched on??

Must say I am glad i have had time to get over cs before having to cope with a baby, it has been quite easy although i am still a bit sore at least i can manage pretty much most things and am not too tired

Have a good day all

Gwood mroninthg.

Yes, I have lost all ability to speak English. Got some kind of horrible mouth infection, furry tongue and food tastes decidedly nasty. I think it's thrush and the midwife warned that being anaemic could cause it. DH has gone to get me some Oraldene which 'has not be proven unsafe in pregnancy' (I have to have something, I can't swallow or eat and my tongue's on fire). Please tell me it'll go. And quickly.

Another beautifully, disgustingly hot day in Norfolk and the ILs are coming over. I'm practicing telling them I'm not inviting them to the ripping, tearing, screaming, spectacle that is this gingerbread baby being born. MIL will cry.

Will be back later, just wanted to say a big good luck to TMP!!! Exciting, a new baby being born today.

Morning everyone

Went to the hospital yesterday for the 'breech discussion' and we have established that LO is sitting in exactly the same position as last week. (Congrats Pebble, by the way - what did you do?!)

Anyway, the consultant was an idiot. He said he needed to scan me, and said 'oh this is a big baby', so I was like 'pardon', and he was like, 'oh this is a big bump', and I was like, 'mate, seriously, is it a big baby or a big bump?', and he was like, 'average'. What an idiot. Then I asked him to confirm the sex again and he said no. Tosser. The baby's head is sticking out of my right hand side, and she is bum down. I have to go to the 'breech clinic' on 8 May to discuss the ECV procedure, which they won't do until 37 weeks. I am so worried about it though, but it seems that I can refuse and opt for a section and see if she turns in the meantime. It doesn't seem right somehow to force her to turn. Any thoughts anyone?

I did, however, manage to persuade the Junior Doctor to do the high vaginal swab for Group B strep.

On a gorgeous note, my lovely mum has posted an invitation through my front door this morning to my BABY SHOWER! (MKG - we were right!) It is at 5pm this evening, and all my lovely friends and family are coming. She has bought me a dress to wear and booked me a hair appointment at Toni and Guy for 2.15pm today. Am I spoilt or what? DH wants to know when his is.

I want a baby shower! I had no idea they were real things that real people did. Rachel on Friends had one I seem to remember. I've never heard of anybody in real life having one. I move in the wrong tractor-infested circles.

Have you done an archive search on ECV Pinkjenny? What kind of breech is lo? Any chance that you can have a vaginal birth anyway? My Mum's delivered lots of breech babies and is always astounded that it's not attempted more often.

Apparently hospital policy (!) is not to attempt to deliver breech babies. She is bum first, not sure what that is called really.

I've done a search on ECV, and apparently the procedure is less successful with first pregnancies. I've got a list of questions (I'm sure they all hide when I go in there...) to ask, e.g., how long will they try for, will the baby be monitored throughout, what if she gets distressed, how many of them have you done before, what is the success rate. My book says the success rate is 60%, and my midwife friend says that an ECV is better than a section, but it seems a little barbaric to me.

I know, how American of us to have a shower. I have been texting all my friends, saying, 'don't refer to me as fat, huge or enormous', just in case they lose themselves and say, 'god, you're massive'. I now have a totally warped idea of how thin I used to be, having previously been a size 12, now size 8 people walk past me and I think, 'I used to be like that'. When clearly I didn't.

Morning all.......

Good luck for today TMP. Oh how exciting a baby day.

Lupins, I think you just need to persevere if you really want him to BF, don't feel bad about formular though. A happy you and content Arlen is much more important. >> I know I will be upset if this one won't bf, not because I have anything at all about bottles but just because I love feeding.

SOH, good luck today, informing the family.

Pebble, for you and your sobbing with ds2. When Harrison started school,2.5here, it was hard work, it took him at least 6mths to stop crying in the morning when I dropped him off, the bottom lip would go as soon as he got in the car in the morning. I'm a bit of a mean mummy and sad to say not too emotional when it comes to things like that. He got over it in the end. He did have a different language to deal with too though so I think thats why it took him so long to settle.

I slept well again last night, thats 3 night in a row, yey!

MKG, thanks for the info on the strep B test, my MW is officially useless , she's not actually she's lovely, I really like her and it has been so nice to see the same MW all the way through Maddies pregnancy and then this one, I like continuity it builds a lovely rapport. I don't think I saw the same midwife twice when pregnant with Harrison. I'm not too worried about the test, it hasn't been a problem for me before, not that I know if that makes a difference.
Oh, and with regards to 1-2 dc's, I didn't find it any harder, yes it takes longer to do meal times, bath time, bed time and getting out can be tough but they entertain each other lovely. I am worried about the jump from 2-3 though as I've heard lots of people say this can be the tough one.

PinkJ, Glad baby is an average size, sounds like the scanner was a bit of a knob. So sorry she hasn't turned yet. FWIW, if mine hadn't of turned I would have tried the EVC procedure, only because I would have always thought what if I had done it and it worked.

Pink J, I started a thread on the EVC procedure a few weeks ago, it was really dood. I'll try to find it and link it for you.

If the baby's bum down and feet straight up by the head then this is a 'frank' breech. This is the type of breech that can be delivered vaginally. I know why hospitals don't do it, but with proper monitoring of you and the baby it can be as straightforward as a ceph delivery. If you wanted to attempt a vaginal birth Mars could give you lots of info.

Ask as many questions as you can about ECV. I know a few people that have had it done, mostly with success. The key things I remember them saying are that the baby is continually monitored and the process is stopped if there is the smallest sign of distress and it is very uncomfortable, if not slightly painful. Don't like saying things like that to pregnant women, but I don't know anybody who's had it done without a degree of discomfort. And if you don't want it done, then don't have it done.