Where's that bloomin' Carol Vorderman when you need her as the August '07 Countdown begins....

[tokentotty]

Whaddyathink ???

myweegirl - I think that adds evidence to my theory that if you have had strong, noticeable B/H's in the last trimester (at least) then people seem to have shorter labours - equally, there are some who;ve had none and had short labours too....

myweegirl, my mother and NIL are poles apart. My mum completely takes over and spends her whole time cleaning the kitchen and gardening. My MIL though sits back and waches me do everything. I'll never forget the time when she popped round unexpectedly and I was out in the garage (DH was out)when I heard the doorbell, so ran across our wet patio in my trainers as as I ran through kitchen my trainers slipped on our ceramic floor tiles and I went crashing into the door frame. Had about an inch long cut just above my eyebrow from where I had hit the sticky out bit from the door handle and so answered the door which blood streaming down my face. Was feeling distinctly woozy but she still watched while I made her a cup of tea!!!

growing - yes, it does add to your theory!

hersetta - OMG that was terrible of her. at least i don't have the unexpected visits to worry about though. mine sits and watches me do everything for her too. she really freaked me out a few weeks ago saying she wanted to come and live with us! fortunately DP told her in no uncertain terms that it would not be possible.

that's me i'm going to stop working now - next time i post i will be on mat leave

Good ole DP !!

Enjoy your ML.

Banana really annoyed at your m/w treating you like that. I'm a bit similar to Conker - I had a fairly average m/w until last week when I got her holiday cover, who was fab, now I'm getting someone new at the next appointment so hopefully she'll be ok... Could you phone the community midwives number and say that you have a list of questions you would like answers to, and that you weren't given time at your appointment to ask these questions??? I think all m/w's seem to be under an incredible amount of pressure (timewise) but some of them cope with it better than others Go for the Jaffa Cakes girl!!!

Yeah I'm booking into a new GP's surgery on monday so hopefully the new midwife there will be nice and I can pick her brains. Knowing my luck my waters will go the day before my appointment lol

I'm now repeating "it'll all be fine" like a mantra in my head. I'm sure I'm panicking for nothing.

Don't know whether to get a TENS machine or not, not sure if I've left it too late, or whether they're worth having at all? Anyone else getting one?

My friend said that when she finally knew she was in labour with her daughter (now 11) she got thoroughly pissed! When she told me I was like but she said "we-eell, I hadn't had one for 9 months and I figured it was a bit late for fetal alcohol syndrome, plus it bloody hurt!"

Don't think I'll be trying that one, but I've heard some midwife recommend a glass of bubbly to get things started, which sounds jolly civilised after all the talk of curries, sex and castor oil!

Psst, guys! Those of you planning on home waterbirths might want to check out this birthing pool currently still at 99p. It has no liner but you can buy one and the pump for £15 apparently (I've heard that as long as you spray everything with milton it's fine anyway)

Just thought I'd let you know because if I was having a homebirth I'd jump at the chance of getting this cheap, I think they're normally RRP £65.

Hiya Banana - sorry to hear you had another crap experience with your midwife and fingers crossed the new one is better. I'd love to be able to afford an independent midwife as I reckon having the same person throughout your pregnancy must be dead reassuring.

Re TENS - I wasn't sure I could be arsed with it to be honest as it all sounded a bit fiddly and pyschological. But I recently spoke to a woman who'd had a home birth and she reckoned it was well worth it. She hired one through a website (my hospital have weekly sessions on them too but you have to leave a £150 deposit) and started using it at about 38 weeks to build up her endorphins (happy hormones). I keep forgetting about it, but might hire one through the NCT as a 'just in case'...

Have a good weekend, all. Wonder if any of us will pop...

Tens are good - I have just booked mine online from Boots - 29.99 for a months hire. If you go over, you can have an extra 2 weeks for free providing yo let them know.

I found it didn't stop the pain, but gave me something to concentrate on during labour - certainly give it a practice first otherwise reading the instructions mid contraction is quite hard

Bananabump, I would complain to the head of MW too, but you might want to wait until after the birth! I might have mentioned that the consultant has put in a complaint about my MW but I will be delivering in the hospital the consultant works in and not the one the MW does, if that makes sense.

Growingbagpuss, I didn't get much BH but I thought I was having them one Saturday afternoon at 37 weeks. Had them quite strong for a few hours and then they went off. Saw the MW on the Tuesday and she said that it was prob labour but had stopped. Waters started leaking at about 7am Weds, went to hospital at about 11 am and had him at 5.40pm so perhaps you are right.

Grrrrr been awake all night waiting for dp to come up and I have no idea why, at 4.30am he sneaked upstairs, turned the bedroom lamp off and for some bloody reason got into the spare bed. I don't think he's annoyed at me so whyyyyyy?

Lay there awake so long my hips ache too much to sleep now so sod it, I'm up, and I'm going to punch him in the eye when he finally gets up, which will be about 2pm. By which time I'll be knackered but won't be able to go for a nap without being classed as a lazy cow as he thinks I've been asleep all night.

grrrrrrrrr!!!!!

bananabump

I know how you feel I had a good night sleep until 3am when "D"H came to bed.

I don't even know why he came our bed, he knows the rules he goes out drinking then he sleeps in the spare room.

Go and and have a sleep this afternoon and if he says anything, tell him if he chooses to sleep from 4.30am till 2pm and you have been working while he's sleeping then he'll just have to put up with it.

I have to say dh never complains if i go for a rest in the afternoon as he knows how tired i get.

I get all panicky now when I go to bed -convinced I'm not going to sleep - my heart rate goes up, and i get really breathless - and guess what - I DON"T SLEEP! I was up tl 1am, then slept til about 2.30. Must have finally fallen asleep about 4.00 til 5.30.

I did tell DH he's going to have to sleep downstairs for a night or two, just becuase his snoring, which I had got used to, is really bothering me now.

I am so tired, and shaky I don't know what to do with myself.

Hi Ya

Trying to catch up, but i go away for 2 days and there's a WHOLE new thread, wow.

Growing bag- hope you get some better sleep tonight and maybe even a sleep in on Sunday. I always find after 1 or 2 bad nights I then sleep like a log. Which I'm doing at the moment as I'm recovering from a week of flu and bad sleep.

Bananabump- poor thing, midwive and hospital experience not going too well so far, i hope it gets better. Sorry to say but the more i hear about UK system the luckier I feel about the Oz system, and that doesn't say much IYKWIM.

I had this experience of the midwive that ran the ante-natal classes i had with Ds, she was pretty rough around the edges and bossy like, the classes were a bit cringe worthy because of it, BUT she did say one thing about her own birth which was "don't feel like you have to be stuck with a midwife you don't like, i had one during my birth that i didn't connect with, and i asked for another, that's your right" When she said this i thought Thank God, because if i have you i think I'd rather have the baby on my own. low and behold i had a long labour and went through almost 4 shifts of midwives one was really horribile and barked at me, and also didn't seem to know what she was doing, etc, etc I had fear and panic in my eyes and dh read my mind and asked for another midwife, the new one was so much bettter thankfuly. It would of been 8 hours of hell with the other.

Anyway worth a shot if you are in that situation.

I'm going to a much smaller hospital this time, so not sure if i'll have that luxury, but i think you always need to have some control over your own birth, so i might try it if i need too.

Hope everyone else is enjoying the weekend. I can't wait to hear of the first arrival

Poor bagpuss, it's difficult when you know you should be getting as much sleep as you can, you go to bed at a decent hour and then just lie there getting anxious that you aren't asleep yet.

Yet if you go for a lie down in the middle of the day when it doesn't matter if you sleep or not, 9 times out of 10 you'll be flat out asleep in three minutes. Typical isn't it?

I don't know about anyone else but now the countdown is on, I worry when I don't get enough sleep just in case "today's the day" and I won't have enough energy to cope with labour. No signs though, no early starters on this thread yet! (Probably a good thing, lots of nicely cooked babies)

I managed to force myself back to bed for a couple of hours after my rant and a bowl of cereal, and proceeded to have really rude dreams for the second night running! I have no idea why...

Well - the m/w has been and done my homebirth talk - we've got it all planned so i avoid hospital.

As for sleep -well, had a lie down while DS slept and now DH has taken hm out for the afternoon (I think he is finally cottoning on to the fact that I need some REST!). I know I just need to learn to relax at night, and not get stressed.

Don't worry about not having the energy for labour - the thought of your LO FINALLY arriving will be enough.

Yes, we certainly do have some well cooked babes don't we? Although there is still time for a few early arrivals -but at least we are nearly at the point where none will count as preemies hurrah!!

I'm on countdown now, until tuesday then HOMEBIRTH!!!!!!!!

I have a very twingy achy bump tonight, we went to collect a changing unit off freecycle and the walk from the car to the door was very weird as if the whole bump was tight and a bit painful. Cue dp looking very nervous! Seems to be mostly ok when I'm sitting down but when I walk about it starts up again. Odd.

The changer we got is really great, a big pine folding top affair with cupboards underneath, we're really lucky to have got it.

You sound like you're all geared up for your homebirth now, bagpuss! are you having a pool or doing it on dry land?

Bananabump - I think itmight be a race to the finish with you and me!

H/birth on dry land - DH couldn't cope with anything more complicated!!

Know what you mean about the twinges - no way was ny 1st this low, at this point in pg, and even m/w said, LO couldn't get much lower!!

On a v good point - I actually slept last night!! still in fits and starts, but dreams and everything!! Hurrah!

morning folks - another bad nights sleep last night - or at least just not long enough. dh is working most of today so trying to think of something fun to do by myself. at least it seems sunny just now for once, so maybe just a day in the garden reading etc would be good - just dont like sitting too long as the bump is so uncomfortable now.

hope everyone has a good day.

lol, nah it's ok, you can go first, honestly! They must have been braxton hicks, I suspect I'll have a lot more of them before anything real gets started!

Getting a bit worried about position, like how can you tell if he's where he should be and not back-to-back? cos I felt a load of kicks to my bellybutton and thought "oh no"

and if he was posterior it'd be all my fault because I have to admit I've gotten a bit relaxed about lying on my back since my hips have been so painful. I don't go to sleep on my back but I have a little while on my back talking to dp before sleep, and I spose I slouch back on the sofa too much.

Better get that birth ball out!

Ooh, today will be good, we are off to buy some screws to put together the cot (we lost th eoriginal bag of screws that came with it, d'oh!) and my brother is coming over to help dp get the new wardrobe and baby changer up to what is actually becoming "the nursery"! Even though I hadn't actually intended to use it as one cos I never thought we'd be clear of enough stuff!

Hey conker, a day in the garden sounds good but it's starting to rain here as usual! You'd never tell it was mid-july, would you? Not complaining though because hopefully it means a nice cool birth for us!

Today I'm planning on shaving my legs and getting dp to paint my toenails, putting the waterproof mattress protector on (sexysexy) and possibly getting all the 0-3 babyclothes washed. Exciting day...

Morning all, glad you had a better nighs sleep growingbagpuss.

I'm feeling a bit like you at the moment conkertree, waking up at 6.30 and too uncomfortable to get back to sleep but then feeling tired for the rest of the day - think I may go back to bed in a bit, but then if I've slept in the afternoon it takes ages to get to sleep on a night! can't win. Reading in the garden sounds a nice way to spend the day.

bananabump - the midwife I saw last week said that if you can feel a hard bit at the front of the bump then that is the baby's spine, if it feels squishy then it's in the back to back position. Must admit I have been lying on my back on the sofa a lot lately!!

Anyway, planning on packing my hospital bag today (been saying this for the last two weeks now!) is it really necessary to take so much stuff with you? the list I have is huge and I don't even know what arnica tablets are for, or kamillosan ointment or aptamil 1st, or gripe water, swaddles?. And do you need to take nappy sacks to the hospital? and cellular blankets? (I'd be taking a blanket to take the baby home in) and baby toiletries, what toiletries do I need to take to the hospital for the baby? and I've been told I'll need to stay in hospital for 2 nights - will I really need 12 muslim squares for a 2 night stay and 6 bibs?

This is my first (as you can probably tell as I haven't really got a clue about this) If anyone is around to advise would be grateful, otherwise will end up putting it off for another week!!!

i think it partly depends on your hospital Saturn - we did have a list of things to take but then at our parentcraft class, the midwife said that really, they have nappies, clothes and cotton wool for the baby, so other than taking your own clothes for them to take it home, you dont really need to bring anything else babywise. But i know all hospitals are different.

As you know this is my first too, but I've been thinking a lot about the hospital bag and I don't think we need to take EVERYTHING for the baby, especially if you're the "make do" type as I am.

For the baby I'm taking a handful of babygrows, a cardigan and a cellular blanket, a couple of soft bibs and a couple of muslin squares, a pack of newborn nappies and some of those huggies pure wipes, vaseline (after someone said smothering baby in vaseline stops "marmite" meconium poos from sticking)

That's as far as I'll be going with baby toiletries for the first few weeks, apart from maybe a dot of baby shampoo when we're home to wash his hair once in a while and a bit of bepanthen if he shows any sign of nappy rash. I don't think you'll need infacol etc in the hospital bag. I don't think they get colic in the first few days (but please experienced mums, correct me if I'm wrong on any of this!)

The arnica tablets are to bring out and heal any bruising you may sustain to the perineum and also helps you heal internally. No idea of the dose though as I haven't bought any. The kamillosan is for cracked nipples during breastfeeding, I would take that with you to hospital, you'll kick yourself if you have nothing with you and they get sore. I've heard you can use kamillosan as nappyrash cream and even lipbalm so it's probably a good allrounder!

I have no idea bout taking formula milk or anything as I'm hoping to breastfeed and I don't want to jinx it by buying bottles and formula. Am I being silly?

As for my bit of the hospital bag, I'm taking two nighties, dressing gown and pyjamas, flipflops, towels hairbrush bobbles toiletries and makeup, dry shampoo for "straight afterwards" pics, a soft flannel or two, 3 packs of lucozade tablets for energy, a box of cereal bars, some cartons of juice, nipple cream, breast pads, nursing bra, maternity pads, a toilet roll (just in case) and some baby wipes, cheap tesco knickers, rescue remedy, paracetamol, change for the phone, camera and film, outfit for going home, post-it notes and pen, and a book/magazine or two.

Seems like loads but I've probably forgot half of what should be on there...

that sounds like its along the same lines of what i've packed - give or take a few wee things, but although the list might look long, when dh and i actually packed stuff last week - it fitted in a small suitcase no problems - still a bit of room if i remember anything i've forgotten - actually like an outfit to wear home - hmm must make a note to actually pack that.