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.

Bagpuss - sofa.
NOW.
Demand tea and cake.

Tell DH a Proper Scientist said it was good for you

(I have also been scrubbing the bathroom, in preparation for Descent of The In-Laws next weekend to help decorate the nursery, but the Cub hasn't complained at all so I have no excuse to slack)

Haha - you've all gone nesty! Banana - am dead impressed with your weekend exertions. Was reading somewhere (maybe on a MN board) about a woman who cooks every two months and makes 40 (yes, 40) meals for the freezer to save effort. Blimey. I'll be lucky to have managed to clean the loo and get the bread and milk in for the midwives.

Uki - sorry to hear you've been suffering with the dreaded lurgy too. Overall, I can't complain, it's just the chest infection I can't shift. Am worried the baby won't recognise my voice unless it's accompanied by a background hacking cough...

Banana - don't give birth on your back - resist at all times! That's the conclusion I've come to. Did a birthing workshop yesterday and if you do need monitoring, you can lie on your left side and they can examine and monitor you like that. It's just the most unnatural position to labour in - take a look at some pics of the baby in the pelvis and how it descends the birth canal and you'll see what I mean. An uphill struggle.

Re feeling ready - am v excited and quietly considering every ache and pain in case it might be a precursor - but nusery still half-painted and general chaos at home - and two more weeks in work. I've got my priorities right tho - just spent the last hour asleep on the sofa dribbling and snoring alongside the dog...

Yay for snoring and dribbling! I do a lot of that myself (amidst all the nesting) I've made myself a nice little day bed in the spare room for naps, with a couple of books. No longer feeling guilty about resting since everybody is constantly telling me to.

Wonder if Kite has had the baby? The june and july threads have had a few early babies, some five weeks early. Wonder if we're getting started?

Oooh it's exciting!

Was beginning to feel a bit Slummy Mummy-to-Be, so in a fit of inadequacy, have just swept the floors and cleaned out all the drawers in the kitchen. Why the baby would be bothered to look in there, who knows. Time for another snooze, methinks...

Banana - day bed sounds heavenly

Good to catch up with everyone's news. Kitey I hope you're doing ok and we'll hear from you tomorrow. MrsB what a fab idea about the £6 ring!! My rings are stuck on my finger right now and I can't get them off so a bigger replacement sounds like a great idea as I also feel naked without them.

What a hectic weekend I've had!! It was supposed to be quiet... I started work at 7.45am on Friday so was ready for an early night by the time I got home. It was not to be however!! Very drunk, hiccupping DH appeared in at 1am after night out with work pals, stole my Gaviscon and then conked out, only to keep me awake by snoring most of the night AND stealing my pillows. Strangely enough I wasn't too mad in the morning just extremely tired and I even made him breakfast in bed (maternal instincts kicking in????).

So as you can imagine, by yesterday evening I was absolutely looking forward to an early night. Yet again, it was not to be. Our cat appeared in at 8pm, very out-of-sorts, wouldn't eat dinner, felt very hot, growled when we tried to come near him and seemed to be in pain. So..... at 12.30am this morning, off we all went to the emergency vet hospital!! Didn't get to bed until after 1am but tbh I probably wouldn't have had much sleep for worrying about him if we hadn't taken him in. Needless to say, 24 hours later, he's back home and seems to be back in form again (and we're £250 lighter, so thank God we got him insured!!!).

Sorry this is such a long post but I've also spent all afternoon at Hypnobirthing - which was really good. I'll try and pass on some of my positive vibes to you Banana, and others!! We watched videos of 2 women who were giving birth using Hypnobirthing and they were so calm and quiet it was unbelievable. It does make sense when it's all explained, as it seems to be all the tension (from fear etc) in your body that prolongs labour. Whereas if you focus on your breathing and allow your body to relax, it allows the rings of muscles that surround the cervix to relax and therefore help your cervix to dilate - simple really!!!!!!!!!! Interestingly, in the US they seem to give birth in different positions to the UK, and lying on your side is quite common there. Am hoping I'll be able to put all the calmness into practice when the time comes

Ooooh Banana, do you really think Kite might have given birth? Come to think of it, I do remember getting a red hot belly and thighs the evening before I went into labour with DS

Glad everyone is OK - keep up the resting while you still can. I have realised that you don't get the opportunity to with subsequent babies... I have been running around the park playing ball this morning with DS, then we took a 2 hour outing to town and back with a duck feeding stop-off this afternoon (all so DH could get on with some overtime work at home, so we can afford a double buggy).

Hoorah though; DH has just cleaned the bathroom, returning with comments of how minging it was and how he must remove and replace the mouldy sealant in the shower . He's gone to the pub now so I have no need to feel bad at how hard he has worked today

Re: labour positions - when I was in labour with DS I physically couldn't sit down or anything and spent the whole time (comfortably) on all fours up until my meany midwife insisted that I lay on my back (even though it made me cry) to monitor me, then they wouldn't let me move again. I can tell you being on my back DID NOT help my labour - I will absolutely insist this time that I will not do it .

BLM; you sound like you have a zen like aura of calm about you this weekend . I think I should take a leaf out of your book as I have been manic this weekend. I think it is panic setting in, especially since my sister reminded me it is only 3/4 weeks to go now .

I hope your furry friend is OK btw - I sometimes think our cats are more needy than DS!!

Hi Washer. Sounds like you deserve a rest this evening. I do feel quite calm atm - hopefully that will last!! Evil midwife making you lie on your back . One of the things we learnt at Hypno was the history of childbirth, and how women have gradually lost the right to have control over their own childbirth (which includes not being allowed to give birth in the position you want to) but Hypno tries to teach women to get that control back again, so that you're not being told what to do by complete strangers!!

Oh, and furry friend seems to be back to normal - made a bee-line for the garden when he got home and scoffed his bit of chicken breast! I think he knows things are going to change soon and was looking for a bit of attention... either that or 1 night at the vet hospital was enough to scare him back into good health.

Forgot to mention that I checked the messages on our home phone yesterday morning (which I don't do very often ) and there were 2 messages from the Dr's surgery - 1 left on Tuesday telling me to come in and collect a prescription and another left on Weds asking me to call them (they did say it wasn't urgent but they would like to speak to me). So I'm taking myself off there first thing tomorrow morning. Did someone else not get a similar call from their surgery recently asking them to come and collect a prescription?? It seems to ring a bell with me... Have no idea what it could be for - I know my glucose levels were a bit higher in my last bloods and urine sample, so they took more samples. Bit that the surgery didn't call my mobile and just left messages on my home phone - but I suppose they did say it wasn't urgent... Will find out tomorrow morning.

Hope it's not anything import, blm, and glad to hear you kitty is back to normal. My sisters cat regularly comes home with a blue nose and lips, yowling and shaking and generally scaring the pants off her. He's always right as rain after a trip to the vets, even when they do nothing for him! It would appear he just likes denting my sisters bank balance!

I just made a batch of flapjacks with a big box of unpopular porridge oats. They smell lovely, but normally I burn/undercook things the first time I make them so fingers crossed they'll be ok.

Really must go to bed after this, I was up at stupid o'clock for no reason this morning, if I stay up any longer I'll just do something stupid like start washing a wall.

Nobody told me pregnancy makes you mental.

Night Banana. Hope your flapjacks turn out ok! God, I hope I get some of your domestic goddess-ness!!

I bet you its iron - when I was pg with DS the GP rang and scared me to death with "one of your blood results showed a problem......"

It sounds like we are all being very virtous doesn't it? All this cleaning and cooking and tidying.... we are setting ourselves up for trouble as the DP's will expect this throughout mat leave!!

KITE!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU???!!!!!

Morning ladies,

had nice weekend. DH and I even went out on saturday night to the pub (now that it's smoke free) and then went for a chinese. Very normal.

Spent all day sunday cleaning and clearing. Not sure it is nesting or fear, as my Mum is coming over for 3 days from Spain tomorrow, but whatever it was I went a bit mad yesterday. Clearing kitchen cupboards of things that went past their sell by date 4 years ago and making room for baby stuff, plus clearing the utility room cupboards and refilled them with DH's crap that was laying around the dining room, plus the bathroom and spare bedroom. Was so exhausted at the end of the day that DH gave me a foot massage as feet were aching so much - I swear to God it was better than sex!

Kite - where are you, we need an update.

Morning everyone!

Conkertree, just been reading when you are going on mat leave, did I mention that I had DS at 38+1? So you might not be bored for too long Did always have a feeling that he would be a bit early though.

Bananabump, I've heard that waterbirths can be good for spd too as the water is supposed to take your weight and it should reduce need for pain relief and protect your perineum too. You could always get out for the last bit if you don't fancy the actual birth in water. Have you tried ringing NCT Pregnancy and Birth Line 0870 444 8709? Its staffed by trained antenatal tutors so they might be able to give you some tips. I'd also ask your MW how open the local hospital is to letting you move around and give birth in the position you want and if she knows of anybody with SPD who has given birth recently who she can put you in touch with.

BLM, sorry to hear about your cat but glad he is ok now.

As for all this nesting, just wish I had the energy. Seem to spend all of my time running around after DS or sleeping.

Went to a BBQ on Saturday night and everyone was asking me when I was due. Saying 1st August over and over made me realise that its not that far away. Slight hysteria is beginning to set in!

Eeek - Mum2George you are getting so close to D-Day! I'm right at the other end of the spectrum, but it's exciting just thinking that some of us will be popping VERY shortly!!
So who do we think will be first?

I had a pretty hectic weekend. Went out to Henley on Saturday with a whole group of friends. Was designated driver of course - has anyone else started to get really sick of conversations with drunk people?
Yesterday met up with some friends for lunch and then had a mad cleaning frenzy (must have been in the air) as we have friends from Aus coming to stay tomorrow and the place was a tip.

Big virtual hugs going out to Kite!!

Thanks for that number Mum2George, unfortunately the hospital I'm going to doesn't have birthing pools yet due to the amount of weight the floors can take (labour and delivery are upstairs- antenatal downstairs. Clever, no?) cos otherwise I'd love a waterbirth, it'd be the perfect solution!

I do think I'm going to stay in the bath as much as they let me, though I've heard they make you drain the water before the baby actually comes out, which seems er...stupid? We'll see anyway, if the consultant has anything to do with it I'll be strapped to a bed for the duration. But hey, I can always say "nope!" I'm pretty good at that.

Had another productive morning, scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen, and (this gives you an idea of how un-domestic goddess I am) mopped the floors for the first time since we moved in in december lol

Morning all. KITE WHERE ARE YOU??? Hope all's ok.

Turns out my last pee sample showed up a UTI so I'm now on antibiotics for 5 days - Amoxicillin - apparently it's safe during pregnancy?? Let's hope so anyway

Sweetydarling, where were you sitting?
I saw at least five other pregnant women at Henley on Sat and there can't be that many of us...

were you in Remenham?
in a green dress?

I am so sorry everyone. I only have internet at work (for now) and had not meant to leave you all wondering what had happened. It was very uneventful in the end. Went to Day Assessment Unit. Told MW why I was there. She asked whether baby was moving well and how I felt and I said everything seemed fine. She asked why I had come in if I was not worried about anything and I said well I was expecting the MW I spoke to on the phone to tell me it was nothing and instead she told me to come in and get checked for an infection so here I am. The DAU midwife thought it was odd that I had even been told to come in but dutifully sent off urine-analysis and then quizzed me about why I had not seen a mw since the beginning of June.
Apparently it was up to me to know that I should have been seeing someone every two weeks since 28 wks pregnant [hmmm] even though the appts people have given me no such appts.
I have to say they were two of the nicest people I have met at this hospital even though they were kind of telling me off for something that was not at all my fault.
In complete contrast, we went to see a birthing centre yesterday and it was just lovely - so quiet and with the biggest, newest pools you have ever seen. A thirty minute drive from home though - mostly because we are complete infants at getting around anything that isnt utterly central London and familiar.
Hope everyone else enjoyed the sunshine. Have a good morning!

Hello Again

Growingbag- at walking down the road to watch the tour, seems like a million miles away from here, well it is really, must be exciting to be so close.

Annie- hope your chest clears up soon, mine is now on the chest too, I sound like a 85 year old man dying from some smoking related disease!!!

Bananabump- you make me laugh, cleaning like a mad woman and especially love the photo of the cleaning/model. I can't imagine her wanting to get her hands dirty, but you never know she could be nice as pie. Dh and used to have ballet dancers board with us, and i remember being scared/jealous at first they were so gorgeous, thin and graceful. Just the way they walked, sat or picked something up made you feel frumpy BUT they were soooo sweet and nice and worked like slaves in their company. I swear they breed them with sugar.

AS for MIL would be nice to have a MIL that came and helped wouldn't it !!!!! I don't have a MIL anymore just a step MIL to be, but they will never marry! Anyway she'd rather eat rats than come within a 100 miles of a baby

BLM- glad kitty cat's better, what did they do to it for 250 pounds I wonder? vets huh?

phew! Glad to hear everything's ok!

[mops brow]

Hi Kite- no early arrival then, glad to hear all ok. For my first dc i got given a info sheet that had all the tests & appointments and varying weeks on it, that helped, now i have moved and i'm under different system though.

Again sorry Had not realised everyone would have me giving birth or worse!

Uki - aren't you in Oz?