Due December 07 - The end is in sight, or is it just the beginning!

[Wizzska]

Hello everyone. Will you come and join me?

Dundee, steady - I wouldn't put that on your birthplan! LOL. Glad you've got more positive news about your little one. Those growth charts do seem to be rubbish don't they - only correct for caucasian babies, and then when the baby is born they're all skewed towards bottle fed babies.

Am enjoying ML. Just having a rest and sipping a Raspberry Leaf Tea now. Have been concentrating on myself, doing my pg yoga dvd, had a relaxing bath. Slept well last night. Hopefully will get some strength up before D-Day. Still got lots of baby clothes to wash though.

Been feeling a lot of pelvic pressure lately. Perhaps little one is engaging a bit more.

Melly - My friend did the ring thing on me in early pregnancy, it turns out it was right. Can't remember which way round its supposed to go now.

Think it's back and forth for a boy and in circles for a girl.

Back again after mw appointment, baby is 3/5 engaged. MW reckons I might have an early one as it is quite low down and all the dodgy stomaches that I've been having are pre-labour signs. Asked about Raspberry Leaf Tea and she told me not to have it until 37 weeks. Also advised me to see the GP about the rashes that I've been getting on my arms and legs - reckon it might be pigmentation changes, but best to get it checked out.

Went through the birth plan and mw disagreed with keeping baby atatched to cord until it stop pulsating, as she said it will increase the likelyhood of LO having jandice, due to blood continuing to flow between mother and baby, so need to have a re-think on that one.

Skid - hope DD gets well soon.

Dundee - that's good news, lol @ your birth plan
ring thing - I think if it goes in a circle it's a girl if it moves in a straight line it's a boy, though not 100% sure on that.

Amani, my midwife said the total opposite to me, said it is best to wait until cord stops pulsating as this means the optimum amount of blood and therefore iron has been passed to baby!!
God I hate it that we get told such conflicting things.....no wonder we get worried about making the right decisions.

Melly - confused about what to do now! Think I will Google the topic to find out more - just want best for LO.

Also in my Birth Plan I had written I wanted to have a short stay in hospital and wanted to give BF a good go and mw mentioned that was a contradiction, as if I wanted to establish BF I would need to stay in hospital longer to do so.

What?! Well I'm planning a home birth and also hoping to bf, my mw has said they will visit everyday to help guide me and have given me the numbers of local bf councellors and also said that if I'm finding it really tough I can go up and spend time at mat.hospital to get tips and support whenever I need to!!
Don't want to confuse you!! Anyone else been told stuff about pulsating cord etc?

So much conflicting info....!!!!!!

I thought it was best to wait for the cord to stop pulsating too - I think mw's aren't too keen often because it means you can't have a managed 3rd stage (or at least you have to delay giving the drug because otherwise it will pass to the baby)

I have been re-thinking my 6 hour discharge because of breastfeeding - am now thinking it will be good to spend one night in hospital (I know DD will be fine with DH) and demanding as much support as I can to get a really good latch. It will also be the only time I will have my new baby all to myself! I am also determined to phone La Leche or NCT is I have any problems with bf this time as I was too shy last time and meant I had a month of bleeding nipples and all the stress anxiety that went with that

melly - I think a hb is ideal for getting support with bf as you have the mw's full attention. Unfortunately in hospital the mws are so busy it can be hard for them to give you any time

Hi Skid,
We were told that it's still poss to have the injection for placenta after the cord has stopped pulsing. I'm undecided about if I want the injection or not as I think it will depend a lot on how the rest of the labour has gone and how tired i am.
Re bf I think you're right you get guaranteed one to one support I think I'm also lucky in that we seem to live in an area that is very pro-bf and has lots of support grps around.

melly - i was told that the cord should stop pulsating before they cut it so they get all the blood they can but some m/w's clamp it early if you have a managed 3rd stage like skid said to stop the drugs being passedto baby but it only takes minutes of it to stop pulsating so I can't see why you'd have to have it done immediately.... sounds like it would just be more convinient for them I'm requesting managed 3rd stage and for the cord to stop pulsating before being cut - have app next week so will ask and find out if thats possible - can't remember what happened before.

amani - I left after 6 hours and bf exclusively for 7 months (only stopped because I wanted to get pg ) if you know how to contact your local bf counselor you'll be fine if you want to go home - you don't necessarily get more support in hosp if they are really busy

skid - I found NCT really good, the bf counselor came out to our house to help, she was lovely

can't remember who's suggested what names now! but thanks - found out last night Natalie means Christmas but we want Mathilda as a first name and it just does work as a middle name - think Toby Nicholas is at the top of the list for today (although I bet I change me mind again - just want a couple of names down in case dh isn't here for the birth, don't like the idea of baby being nameless till he gets back)
on that note having a nightmare finding a birthing partner if he is away - anyone not having dh/dp?? who have you asked? only person I think I'll feel comfortable with is my mum but she's stressing and has admitted she doesn't like idea of HB will prob end up in hosp if have her there... can't think of anyone else who knows me well enough...

sounds like you will have great support melly - very of you hb! (and lovely bump photo btw)

meant to say shells I met a baby at the weekend who was born by em cs because the (first-time) mum was in such pain and was exhausted. Before talking to the mother I couldn't believe that they would put someone through major abdominal surgery when it wasn't medically necessary, but after talking to her it sounded like she was basically begging them for a cs and was very distressed so I suppose they felt they had no other option. Both mum and baby are doing well now (baby one week old, half French, half Algerian and utterly utterly beautiful)

Amani found this site whcih discusses pros and cons of cutting cord, mentions the jaundice connection but sounds like only potential issue if baby early, have a look it's interesting, not sure if it helps any or just adds to the confusion though!!!

www.naturaltransition.com/natural-childbirth-3rdstage.htm

Skidaddle - hope your DD is OK - my youngest has a habit of getting scary rashes when she has a bad cold! Non-specific viral rash is the usual diagnosis but always best to check.

BF - I found I could not settle at the hospital and was desperate to come home - with DD2 I was in 2 nights and ended up expressing and giving her some from a cup - but then got home and was fine - BF totally 3 months, then mixed breast/bottle until she was 6 months (was working evenings then and that screwed up my timings a lot) IME you won't get that much help with BF in hospital unless you are v lucky and it's a quiet time/you have a good experienced MW. Get as many pics as possible about BF - the whole nose-to-nipple, wait until baby's mouth really open etc - I think the NCT leaflet is good for that, some of the parenting mags have good pics too.

Am feeling in good mood as still feeling good but v tired - I'm awake enough to have a shower, then almost falling asleep again by the time I'm going to school. Have given up on the walking to school - sod the environment for the next month - it's wet & cold, and I'm too knackered to walk up the hill.

Consultant app't today - all fine, head down, not engaged yet (wouldn't expect it as 3rd baby and only 34 wks) - heartbeat fine, BP fine - they took some more blood to test. He's made an app't for 3rd Jan to discuss options if overdue, am hoping that I will be cancelling that one! He says that as I've had a previous section he would be concerned about induction if overdue - possibly looking at another section. I pointed out that I was induced last time, but he said that was different as I had already had some contractions, just nothing was progressing, so different situation from kick-starting labour. It wouldn't necessarily be a section - they could try membrane sweep/rupture of membranes first but would be v wary of induction via gel or drip. Let's hope this one comes early and saves the worry...

insy - there is a wekk (next week) when dp might have to look after dd so if I go into labour so obviously can't be my birthing partner. If this happens I think I would prefer to do it alone than have someone who I didn;t feel completely comfortable with or who didn't really want tobe there. As you're having a hb you will at least have someone there the whole time. If your mum feels a bit uncomfortable about being there maybe it wouldbe better to find someone else/just have you and your mw there?

Have you given up on Noah btw? Can I have it back?!

Hi Insy - yes sounds like you've been told same as me!

Thanks Skid, I just hope I do get to have hb trying not to set my heart on it too much just in case things don't go to plan, but it's hard now as we have evrything here ready - home birthing stuff and pool will be weird if we don't get to use it all.

thanks housemum - my DD does have a really bad cold and cough so non-specific viral rash sounds about right

I got an appt with the consultant for when I am overdue too - it's so depressing isn't it? can they not wait until you're 40 weeks before sending you an appt slip?! Really hope this one comes on time for you - would you/they be happy to wait a couple of weeks over to see if s/he comes naturally or would they prefer to go for a cs close to your due date? Fingers crossed for you and claraq and any other VBAC-ers

melly - I wanted a hb last time (as a 1st timer) and had everything arranged. When it came to it I had to go into hospital due to high bp and a few other things but it was absolutely fine and once DD had arrived I didn't care how she'd got here. So if it does come to it, going to hospital shouldn't be a big disappointment (although I know it probably feels like it would be now) but fingers crossed for a lovely hb for you all the same!!

thanks Skid! Here's hoping.......

very interesting article melly - food for thought as it gives both the pros and cons so can see where mw is coming from.

Glad you found interesting, hope it hasn't just added to your confusion!!

Have just posted my bump pic.

Melly / Skid, I'm hoping I'll manage a hb too, but I'm flexible. It won't upset me too much if I have to go to hospital.

skid - yes you can have Noah back - I love the name but got fed up of peoples reactions to it, my brother just kept taking the mick and talking about Noahs ark it is my number 2 name tho so if LO doesn't look like a Toby it'll def be Noah!
don't think I'm confident enough to do it on my own - I really felt quite out of in/in my own world last time and dh took a lot of the responsibility of fighting off intervention, feel like I need someone on stand by to fight my corner... if only we had enough money for an independant mw - guess my issue is it could be anyone of a number of mw's from ones I feel comfortable with to a really crap one
how come dh will have to look after dd next week? I think you're right that its best to have no one than someone for the sake of it, I don't think I want to be on my own tho