sleeplessness, toothache, hip pain - the joys of being due August 2007 !!

[tokentotty]

Now that's all out of the way in the thread title we've all got to head down the "things can and will only get better now" ok?? All ailments stop and nothing but good things will befall us all.

Right.

Morning. Sorry I set off a flurry with my silly birth plan .

Breathing the baby out rather than pushing when told to has been drummed into us at both hippo and ABC classes. The body pushes the baby out and it helps to avoid tearing if you just let it get on with it and especially if you avoid holding your breath and pushing without breathing. So TT was right.

No I don't want students or any kind of audience. It goes with the "Please give me privacy" and especially as I would much rather be at home with just DP for company. As it is, I hate the fact that I will only meet the midwife assisting me on the day, and only meet the consultant that helps me if I need help on the day. I am not being precious but I might only get to experience this once and definitely it is a once off with this baby.

I am going to rewrite it before I give it to anyone else so it is shorter and reads more like a list of requests than a bill of rights! But I want DP to know what I feel strongly enough about for him to have to fight for it.

So far he is avoiding the whole issue because he is in this lovely hypno state of believing everything will be beautiful and he won't have to be confrontational with anyone.

I totally take on board what Washer says, and will go with the flow on the day but it is a bit nervewracking not knowing who is on your team until it is really important! Grrr NHS.

Growing, hope you feel a bit better as the day moves on. It is good news isn't it? Even if you are no less comfortable, your baby is doing its thing!

Hope everyone has nice plans for the (hopefully) sunny weekend ahead.

Also, you are absolutely allowed to insist diplomatically that only a consultant carries out a procedure. Why should I risk bad stitching by a junior registrar?

Hello ladies. Gah, impossible to catch up on a day's chit-chat here - things move so fast! Liking the birth plans. It does help you focus on what you want out of the experience, doesn't it? Kite - have also gone down the hands-off-please-and-give-me-my-privacy route.

TT - don't worry about the positioning of the baby. I've been looking into it loads because of mine being breech, and have heard so many mums saying they do move round and reposition - often during labour! Try and avoid sitting with your knees higher than your hips - I've been trying to lean forward at work while typing instead, as it's meant to open up the pelvis.

Had a nice bday, thanks. Took the day off last min and spent it sleeping, eating and walking the dog. My three fav things at the moment

Don't worry Kite - you opened up a debate - that's nothig to about!!

It shows you are strong in your committment to do this your way - I think re-writing the plan to ermm.. soften it... is a great idea - because actually - the "gentle approach" is mroe what you are after.

As other people have said - labour is a funny old thing, and doesn't ever happen the way we plan or think. We all need to be aware that things sometimes don't quite go to plan and it

oh bugger, used the wrong things -I wondered why my italics didn't come out!!.. the like that should have been words like that!!

Oh yes, meant to add Growingbagpuss, that I've found sleeping with three pillows for my head and one under my bump and between my legs the best way to drop off. Sometimes I get four pillows and drape myself over them on the bed with my bum in the air (!) and fall asleep that way. That's good when the bump feels sore. Aw, think of it as your baby being dead comfy and having the room to spread out and grow - and at least the head is in the right starting position! x

Annie have you tried the somersaulting thing yet?

Somersaulting ??? Sounds a bit tricky !

Somersaulting? !! I take it thats the baby not you?

We seem to have quite a few breeches..... I thought the actual percentage rates for breech births were really low - something like 4% - so we either have odd representation or LOADS are going to change direction.

Keeping legs tightly crossed for you all.

xx

someone suggested to Annie that she should try somersaulting during swimming to shift the baby

oooooh no!!! that would mae the water go up my nose, and I'll feel all sick and dizzy!!

Hi all! Crikey I have missed a lot since yesterday already!

Sweetydarling my cousin had a wee boy on her due date last year and he was just over 5lbs - they kept them in a bit longer just to make sure everything was ok but he's now a very wriggly 8-month old, who measures the size of a 1-year old!!

Washer, our cat is also dropping clumps of hair all round the house... but he was very cute last night and cuddled up into my bump, put his head on the bump and the baby had a wee play with him... then he went back to his old ways and started trying to bite DH (erm... the cat that is, not the baby...)

Banana, it sounds like you're closer and closer to having a lovely spick and span nest for the LO!! LOL at your birth plan, re the swearing and pooing !!

Great idea for starting the Birth Plan postings! I will need to sit down and have a think about mine. Loler my DH is worried that the m/w's will play a trick on him by giving him blunt scissors!!!

TT sorry to hear that Peanut is now chilling out against your spine... you've probably heard this already but our yoga teacher told us to make sure we didn't sit back too far or slouch back in our seats, as this would encourage back-to-back (am not suggesting for a second that you've been slouching btw ).

I will probably ask for students not to be present at the birth, hate the idea of loads of student doctors gawping at me when I give birth for the first time ever. Having said that though, the only person who's been able to take my blood first time without making me feel like a pin cushion, was a student midwife. The other experienced midwives have all taken about 4-5 goes to find a vein.

I have just come back from 32wk check up and the midwifes (2 trained plus 1 trainee) trying to work the position of the baby.

It seem to be on the right side with head under ribs and bum near my hip with arms and legs pointing towards my back.

When i go back in 3 weeks if it hasn't changed positions i have to go for a scan.

My birth plan was just going to be.

1. Gas and air

2. Petherdine if requested by me.

3. Skin to Skin

4. Yes to Syntocinon injection

5. Vit K injection.

Please do not ask DH if he wants to cut the cord as he will go green.

Sorry should have added this may change if this little wotsit doesn't change position soon. I realy hope it does as i do not want a cs.

Hiya Kite. No, I chickened out of the somersaulting because I had to go back in to work in the afternoon and worried about dripping make-up and cholorine hair . But will try it at the weekend, if I can get DH to come and weigh me down! Haven't tried the moxi either - I did go and ask at the practice that did it, but had a v strange experience where the receptionist practically warned me off having treatment with the guy that did it. Said he was 'full on and rather odd' Hmm, where next?

Have tried lying up the ironing board every night (hideous for heartburn which I'm getting in spadeloads because of baby's position ), being on all fours every time I watch telly, yoga, reflexology, cold peas on the baby's head, asking it to move nicely and now investigating acupuncture...

And yes, there do seem to be a lot of breech babies in our month. I thought I was just unlucky, but guess there is still time for them to right themselves. Met a woman dog walking yday who said her sis was discovered to have a transverse lie just before she went into labour, but it corrected itself during the labour.

hello ladies!

I reckon most of our wildly high proportion of breeches will turn for labour - just like our huge outnumbering of boys to girls will even out when we know what the 'surprises' are. And I'm sure even those that don't turn will be happy and healthy .
(Really I am trying very hard not to feel too smug that I found out at MW appt yesterday the the BadgerCub is now neatly LOA ie ideally positioned for birth )

I haven't written a birthplan either yet but I think it'll boil down to:

• Birth pool if it's free (there's only one so if I want it I have to bag it early)
• Pain relief on request and not before
• No continuous fetal monitoring (lovely consultant has already written this in caps and signed it )
• BRAINS analysis before any intervention
• DH knows me better than anyone else so consult him if you think I'm not giving sensible answers / not coping / exhausted / deranged etc
• Natural 3rd stage unless it'd pose a serious danger to me

Not sure re cord yet - I'd rather it were cut after it's stopped pulsating but I'm signed up to donate cord blood for a stem cell research study which may affect how it goes.

You have a well-behaved cub already, Mrs B

Anyone else had a bummer of a cold/cough last few weeks? Can't shift the sodding cough and don't want to take anything for it. Any naturopaths amongst you?

hot lemon and honey does it for me, but this is one time that (as a sceptical scientist) I'd recommend something homeopathic off the shelf at Boots, cause it's only sugar after all...

Kind of urgent question here. Have just discovered that my bump is bright angry red and hot. Really, putting my hands on leaves white marks. Is this as weird as I think? Should I rush to a doctor? Baby kicking as ever but the heat is just odd.

Wow - chatty lot this last day !

Sorry to hear of your back to back baby TT _ I thought mine was behaving perfectly as well untill I found out she'd turned breech - little Monkey. Couldn't sleep last night really for worrying about c-sections So I hope to God she turns before the 36 week scan.

Discussed birth plan with Doula last night - we will revisit after 36 week scan if she is still breech and she said when i write it down to go with my notes just make it bullet points as the midwife won't read rampling paragraghs of your wishes so make it consise and to the point.

Don't know Kite and a google yeilded nothing helpful - perhaps you should call the midwife or hospital to see what they say.

ring the MW - it's what they're there for - although the fact it's not on the usual lists of Symptoms To Panic About is a good sign

Hi Kite. I had a red hot bump a few days ago and was convinced I was about to develop a rash as it was itchy too. It went the next day. But prob worth giving the midwife a call just in case x

Thanks all. I will ring the mws at hospital. Sorry, MrsB - meant to comment that your birth plan looked like a good one, but got all distracted by sudden panic. I thought I was over all this worrying about everything mindset.

midwife and a cool flannel....?

Don't remember ever suffering that one... go easy girl. xx