Due August '07 Part 5 - Whizzing into our third Trimester !

[tokentotty]

Hellooooo !!

Has anyone actually tried the perineal massage thing?

it has crossed my mind but I will certainly not be starting till the pile cream is finished - there's only so much Anointing Of Bits I can bring myself to do in a day .

Poor MrsB - hope that clears up for you soon!

My friend did the perenieum massage thing- no tearing or anything but may have been a coincidence
Her NCT class teacher told them to do it- lovely discussion for all the DH/DP's!

Hi guys! I'm having a good day today as I've just bought a freedom sling off ebay in pretty multicoloured fabric, and I can't wait to try it out on a sack of spuds!

Went to my second antenatal class last night which was a lot better than last weeks shambles, although the midwife who gives the talks is very nervous, blushes constantly, and talks too fast until she runs out of breath and has to sit down!

We went through the different stages of labour, and some coping methods for the early stages, then looked at what happens in a standard normal birth. Next week we will do a tour of the labour ward and talk about pain relief and intervention.

She gave us some cards with different signs of labour on them for example "mucous show" and "waters broken" etc, and asked us to describe what we would do if it happened to us. When it came to my turn, every card I pcked up, my mind went blank and I said "hospital??" and my dp suddenly spoke up and just amazed me by knowing all the right answers, and the midwife said "you'll be a good help on the day, then!"

I was like lol

Here was me thinking he thought a cervix was a type of mythical beast...

I will be doing perineum massage from 34 weeks, haven't tried it yet but dp says he'll give it a go as I can't reach that well any more. Hope it doesn't hurt...

I'm going to get some raspberry leaf tea to start from about the same time too, but I hate most herbal teas so I might get the tablets. No idea what strength I need/how many to take though!

Bananabump - 36 weeks - don't take raspberry leaf earlier - just in case it does work. 34 weeks is not quite cooked!!

Mrs B - I can sympathise - my veins are so bad down there (up there?!) that I don't want anything/ one near me! Hope I don't have to have a sweep - as i think I'd go through the roof!

It wasn't taken as criticism kite. I meant to say the Dettol antibacterial spray. I hope that's ok for them as I use that for everything.

I never tried the perineal massage last time but having seen the instructions I don't think I could get myself into that position. I tore with dd but I was told that was only because she came out with her hand on her cheek.

Lol about the midwife banana. It's weird that she gets so embarrassed. Perhaps it's just when she has to talk in front of the men.

I gave the raspberry leaf tea a go last time and couldn't drink more than a few sips. It tastes awful (but then I don't like any tea). I think I'll give the tablets a go this time.

Hmm, good point bagpuss, I was thinking that 34 weeks was a bit early myself, but some sites say all it does is condition the womb, so it's ok to start at 34 weeks on a low dosage.

I think you're probably right though, no harm in starting at 36 weeks to be on the safe side, I'd feel terrible if he was born too early because of me!

To be fair - I think the tea would be ok - its the tablets which are quite a lot stronger - i guess its lke the differernce between arnica cream, and arnica tablets - which i have also been advised to take after the birth - safe for LO and reduces the swelling.

Gill, what do you mean about getting in that position? I thought it was just on your back, legs akimbo, perhaps with a pillow under the bum for easier access to the perineum? (Sorry if TMI)

I'm not sure I could handle any special positions these days, with my spd. Getting out of bed is hard enough!

I saw some instructions that said you should lay on your back with your legs up and use both thumbs to massage the perineum. I'm really not very flexible and have a short body. I suppose I could just use one thumb or finger.

Anyone got any plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to do very little. I'd like to catch up on some sleep but that's not going to happen, unless I can persuade dh to take dd out for a couple of hours one afternoon.

Just read your bit about the pillow. That would probably help me. I'm not sure I can be bothered though.

Hi Again

I have been busy, busy with a conference so glad it is now all over, was the last big thing before bubs. I'm so keen to relax now.

I'll ad my 2p on the perinium massage and tea practices.

I did the massage, was too shy to talk about this last time though LOL how things change, it may have helped, but I really think the midwife holding the hot wet towel during labour also was very helpful, if not even more helpful, but only guessing, anyway did not tear there, but rather nasty internal tear that needed about 7 stitches, so you just never know what's going to happen.

can't remember exactly but you can start on one cup of tea in the third trimester and then go to 2 and then 3 during the last 2 weeks. I used honey to sweeten till i got used to the taste.

-- newsflash ---

After a hot and sticky day in Peter Jones with PIL, the Badgers have a pram.

After being dead set on the Silver Cross Sleepover we could also use as a crib for the first few months, we discovered that the Classic chassis was, whilst lovely and bouncy, v heavy and a bitch to steer in tight spaces; and the Linear chassis (easier to steer) seemed too solid with no suspension at all.

MIL also pointed out that when you come home on a pouring day in November and the carrycoat is soaked through it'd be jolly handy to have a dry moses basket to put the baby in...

Tried the Silver Cross 3D (too rattly), the Micralite (insufficiently sturdy), the Bugaboo (wobbly handle, too low, poor recline), the Buzz (not great to push, no basket, poor recline), the Loola (dual handles) and the Jane Slalom Pro (excellent to push but no decent carrycot).

Ended up with a Maclaren MX3 with carrycot - so far from what we thought we'd get but we are very pleased nonetheless.
The handle (and the baby) felt high enough for me at 5'8" and DH at 6" not to be hunched, it's subtle enough that no-one would look at it twice, and it turns in its own length, which is a far cry from the Classic Sleepover that needed a three-point turn to go more than 90 degrees.

end newsflash -

start cold bath -

Wow - congratulations on the buggy MrsB - have that pleasure yet to come!

My big news is that at 5pm on Friday we exchanged contracts! So this weekend we've mostly been at the tip! So much for relaxing and not doing much in the 3rd trimester - have sorting and carrying all weekend (that's with someone else doing the packing!)

My MW told me to start raspberry leaf tea around 34 weeks - it doesn't bring on labour - like someone else said it just conditions the womb. I took the tablets as the tea is nasty! Started on the dose on the back of the packet and doubled it 2 weeks before DD (I wanted ds out!). Don't know if it does anything but definately worth a try (seemed to make BH stronger).

Morning all !

That's fantastic news about the contracts Loler, when's your anticipated completion date ? Try and take it easy and make sure you get plenty of rest won't you !
Good news for the Badgers too..... Glad you've found the pram for you. I know I felt relieved when all that was finally sorted out.
Will attempt to post Betty's list in the next couple of days but just quickly while I remember, I've to start taking the raspberry leaf tablets on the day I'm 32 weeks (Friday) for anyone who's interested. Have to start my 'kick chart' that day too.

Right, off to have bloods taken after a monumental f*ck up by the path lab on my last lot...

I did a bit more looking up on this Raspberry leaf lark.... you could look at 10 different web sites, and they would say 10 different things about when you should or shouldn't start... I give in!!

TT - silly question - what's a "kick chart" - other than the obvious - and why?

Morning everyone. I had a mixed weekend. Saturday was great. Spent the whole day at home in and out of the garden. Yesterday was stressful and tiring. Sil phoned up at 6:30am!!!! Her 5 week old has an extra toe which had gone black and she was calling to ask dh to take her to the hospital. She lives about 20 miles away. He told her to phone an ambulance. I was really annoyed because I was actually fast asleep at the time. Dd had been up in the night and I had woken up twice after that. Before I had got back to sleep she phoned again. He told her he still wasn't going to take her to the hospital but he would pick up other 2 kids up from there later on. We had to look after the 1 yr old and 2 yr old. Even with a 2 yr old dd I never realised that our house isn't that child friendly. We don't need safety gates or door locks in the kitchen. We had to spend the whole time stopping them from doing things and the living room looked like a bomb had hit it. We thought we should get them out in the garden to let them run around a bit but the 2 yr old boy just wanted to sit in the living room watching cBeebies and whinged every time we wouldn't let him do things he gets away with at home. I was so glad when dh took them home at 4:30pm. I think I take for granted how well behaved and mature dd is for her age. I have a really bad headache and I'm sure it's all due to stress and being woken up so early yesterday. I wish I was back at home in bed.

Congratulations loler. I bet you're getting really excited now. Definitely take it easy though. I find I feel drained after the slightest exersion - but then I was never fit before being pg.

Well done MrsB.

TT - why do you have to do a kick chart? Hope the bloods go well this time.

Hello, hello. What a scorcher of a weekend, eh? Spent a lot of it stripping wallpaper in the baby's room and boy, it was hot. Have become addicted to fruity lollies and anything with ice in (bar a lovely g and t, sadly).

Ace news about exchanging, Ioler! Just think, you'll be tucked up in your new home with your new baby before you know it .

Am liking the stylish new pram, MrsB. Full marks for being able to do such productive shopping on such a hot weekend. Relief to tick that purchase off, isn't it?

Will buy some raspberry leaf tea this week, TT. It's dead handy you having your Betty and sharing her advice. I feel I never see my midwife and when I do she's v rushed (always a queue of us outside). I'm not sure I could do the kick chart thing as I'm not sure I could identify my baby's movements as kicks - more like squiggles and squirms which sometimes happen all at once and then it goes all quiet for ages...

Well, the kick chart is something I have to do every day until Peanut arrives I guess. It seems to be to help them monitor how things are going, and the gradual slow down of movements as everything gets more and more cramped inside ! Basically, from waking up in the morning I have to count the first ten movements made. Now this can be a kick/punch or as you say Annie a 'wiggle'. Then I just write down the time that I feel the tenth one. Apparently it'll take longer and longer through the day as the movements lessen. Also, it lets you (and the doctors) know that the baby is ok and moving enough.
I agree with you Growingbagpuss about conflicting information on things. When Betty said to start taking the RL tablets at 32 weeks I stated my surprise that it was this early on. She said to me that basically, she'd been doing this job for 36 years and like she'd told me at the beginning - she was going to treat me as if I was her own daughter and give me only the best care. I then said, "I'll start the tablets on Friday then !!"

Just back in from Aqua Natal class. There's no way I could cope with that much activity on dry land!

Glad to hear you've got the pram sorted MrsB. What colour did you go for? Looks good

TT - do you tend to find that you feel your baby more early morning and late at night? It could be because that's when I'm lying down and most relaxed, I guess. I'll give the chart a go - a do suddenly worry when I realise I haven't felt it move for a while.

Morning Gill - glad you got one day's r&r over the weekend, though Sunday sounded trying! Blimey, an extra toe? I looked at my latest scan and thought I counted seven toes on the foot on display, but DH said it was probably just motion blur... hope so or finding shoes to fit will be a nightmare .

sorry - had to laugh at the fear of getting shoes for a 7 toed child....
Erm, anyway - kick charts ! I started trying to count over the weekend and did notice that as I was relaxing in bed in the mornings I could wake up at 7.30ish and be easily done by 8am. However, on a weekday I think it'd be later because I tend to get up and on my way and then Peanut goes nuts while I'm sitting at my desk. Am sure when I actually start writing it down (from Friday which is 32 weeks) a real pattern will emerge. Might just be worth you trying for your own interest once you hit that point perhaps ?