Due Jan 2008.......................Asleep on our feet..............zzzzzzzzzzz.....................

[MotherofZ]

Hello
am over here...!!!

Can't spell shock - how amusing!

bettymamma - dp was hopeless with pregnancy gestation till he saw consultant. Sympathy for you with dp away. Mine goes on the 22nd for 2 weeks (away while ds has op).

Agree with you and motherofz re the homework thing. I think it is outragous as if ds was well enough for school he would be signed off. If he gets bored and wanted to do some number work.reading etc then of course he can but there is no way I am putting him under pressure!

BM - Is he going to be here for the birth or are you having another birthing partner?

I defo want my hubby to witness (again) the joys (!) of being a woman and of course to see our little one come into the world. I must say last time he saw me do it he was in total awe and told everyone how incredible I was.

Good for you re homework Awen.

Didn't realise your dp away for ds's op. That's going to be very hard on you - hope you have other family about. You said he was going to Japan I think? Its quite an annoying time difference.

Motherofz - DH should be back beginning of October so will def be there for birth! Oh i'd be so annoyed if he wasn't. He was alot more emotional than me when I had dd. I was just stunned.

have my mum locally altho she is on jury duty. Glad your dp is going ot be back in October. Are they likely to send him over seas again? DP is going ot Japan and the time difference is a real pain. They are sending him again in November (end of). Will be 36 weeks when he gets back.

what about you awen - will your DP be back in time for the birth?

Being dense and not read your last post properly. Must be hard trying to time the phone calls etc...

My Dh has to ask me every week how pregnant I am. It has taken him quite a while to get involved in this preg tho, but now he just keeps asking questions. He keeps gettign annoyed when i get him to feel a kick and he doesnt feel it. I dont understand how as they are so strong.

bettymamma - Im sleeping okish...such a light sleeper, and cant work out if babybel is waking me up or the need for loo

motherofz - think dp will find it harder. Long hours, different language/culture and he misses us.

I have to go collect ds from school now so might not be on till tomorrow (ironing mountain tonight!)

Take care all xxx

Good point Awen - didn't think of it like that. It is harder for them. Back when you're 36 weeks - scary! Have fun with the ironing.

Beller - DD always used to wake me up at 3am and at 5am and when she was born it was exactly the same, like she'd developed her own routine!

MM - you have a good dh asking each week. I was trying to get dh to read the week i was on in my pg book every week! It is annoying trying to get them to feel the kicks and them missing them!

No worries Mixedmama re the pool, I have heard that it can slow down contractions if you go in before you are fully dilated.

Hi Beller out of interest, what time do you go to bed?

Thanks Fluffymummy & Lilyloo for your help on the assessment check. I do feel like the HR dragon is out to get me (they have not assessed my desk at work!!) that?s why I am looking for tips on how to pass! I think it?ll be her doing the check I reckon if she fails me, they?ll tell me I have to work from the office full time

Bettymamma ? TENS machine sounds fab which one did you get? What does vit K do? Re my Mum she?ll be great when the baby is a toddler, she loves them then! How scary that sounds about being strapped down ? why?! Whole hand internal?!!! NO

Awen ? that?s what my Doula said, have a wish list rather than a plan that might go to pot! I am terrified of monitoring, I think I have watched too many American programmes, they are all strapped down with monitors and give birth on their backs with their legs in stirrups ? god, the risks of tearing and the need for forceps must be so high. I can?t imagine how you deal with pain flat on your back. They also seem so eager to section in these programmes.

Isn't Vit K injection done to help the baby blood ?????

MrsMcJnr - the Americans do tend to do things slightly differently so I wouldnt pay much attention. When i was watching those programmes I noticed that nearly every single one with only one or two exceptions automatically has epidural virtually as soon as they arrive, if you watch more of the British ones they show a better overview I think as you get some medicated, some active and an awful lot of water births.

Not sure what Vit K is for. I just (stupidly I suppose) assumed baby needed it. I do remember something vaguely about blood. My cousin refused it as didnt think the baby needed jabbing when so little and is fine.

God the woman at work has been going on and on about the McCann thing all afternoon, talking as if she is some qualified DNA specialist not a bloody switchboard operator, just feel like saying shut it. Driving me round the bend. Having a bad day with people today I think.

According to Wikipdeia: In some countries, injections of Vitamin K are routinely given to newborn babies. Vitamin K is used as prophylactic measure to prevent late-onset haemorrhagic disease (HDN). However, HDN is a relatively rare problem, and many parents now choose for their babies not to have such an injection.

Intersting link here www.womens-health.co.uk/vitk.asp

Another decision!!

Can I talk bras for a minute?
In my non pregnant state I always wear underwired padded bras. I got measured for and bought 3 bras at weekend, but they feel so strange. I know they are covering more of me, but i feel less propped up!
Is this normal? Maybe it's the no padding and no underwire feeling.
HELP!

Just to clarify: the bras i was measured for and bought are maternity bras

Hey all - wish I hadn't read some of these posts - like Mrs McJnr am reeling from the being strapped down and whole hand thing! Dear god - why would they strap you down? that would freak me out and then their whole hand - seriously?!!
Had my scan yesterday and all well - tho' I have, according to the woman doing it, "a really stubborn baby" who was head down, bottom in the air, back to my tummy and clearly did not want to be pictured. I went off running round the hospital, ate, drank, rolled around on the bed for her, had the scanner pressed VERY hard into tummy and beannie was impervious. So I don't think we would have found out the flavour even had dh been willing. In the end she got all the measurements she needed and we have a couple of pictures that sort of look like a baby but it was not the gymnastic video display others have had. Think dh was quite proud of beannie actually - "it's not a performing monkey after all". Myself am just deeply relieved.
Am feeling dead chuffed with self and deeply organised - have just bought dh's Xmas present so don't have to think about it when huge and exhausted. A branch of Jessops is closing down near to us and have bought a handheld tiny camcorder reduced from £300 to £150. Worried that this will encourage dh to film me constantly which wd annoy the heck out of me, but thought he might enjoy filming baby! Hope he likes.
hugs to all.

MM - oh the McCann thing - my mums daily obsession.....

MrsMcJnr - they did exactly what you described when I got into hospital and I was totally ignorant and thought it was normal to strap you down and put your legs in stirrups and then go push! I know so much more this time. You are right - its good to have knowledge. Its basically easier for the medical profession to monitor you if you are on your back thats why they do it - but its not easier giving birth!

I swear we have the same mum - she 'doesn't like small babies' quote(!) but was brilliant once dd got to 9 months. Such a life saver. Luckily the MiL liked babies - but finds toddlers difficult....

the pool i think they wont let you in before 5 cm dilation? not sure though....

Mrsmcjnr....have been in bed by 9 o clock all this week...when i start work at 7.15 i allow myself to stay up until 10! hahaha I have booked a load of wednesdays off thru oct and november though to break the week up! Although im out with clients tonight, tapas then the footie, but hopefully I will be able to excuse myself half time!

Neuro - I dont feel as "up" as i used to before either, although they have gone up 2 sizes, i am also in non-wired bras?

Freaks me out to think of being strapped to bed as well...im soooooooooo hoping im allowed a home birth...will find out around this time next week i think? Of course if there is any good reason why, i would go in. But they would have to alleviate alot of my worries re the hospital!

Barristermum and MrsMCJnr - dont worry about the strap down thing too much, you are both clearly very well informed and dont think either of you will let this happen. Incidentally, if it makes you feel any better nobody ever mentioned strapping me down at any point in my pregnancy or birth - altho if you have a high risk (of what exactly I am not sure) then I suppose it will be suggested.

Perhaps if your hospital has a birthing centre you could use that rather than the delivery suite, as they are much less likely to do things like that as they are not geared up for that.

Barristermum - congrats on the scan.

Oh my bra feels tight today and the wire is really digging. Finally maybe my boobs are growing - might have to get some non wired ones myself as the wired is really driving me nuts. But, I just feel I will have no support.

RE: hospital birth. I've re-written some bits of my birth plan as according to a nurse friend, if you say things like 'i wouldn't like a student nurse in there' they'll send in some 1st year loon and do the opposite of what you request. Apparently being 'the client' is completely irrelevant.

Made me want a home birth...feel really unenthusiastic about going to hospital now. It's not the first thing i've heard about the NHS either, feel really disappointed. Even though nothing has actually happened.

Also i keep having dreams where the baby and i are being threatened with attack or even being attacked. Most recent one was me holding baby up in the air while a pitbull savages my leg trying to eat the baby. Arrgghhhh.

Mixedmama the nice M&S lady told me underwires are a no no because it impedes on the milk ducts growing. Something like that.

I miss my underwires though and feel like i've got saggy boobs already that are barely being held in place by some t shirt material!