Due March 2008 - for our early arrivals and the loooooong 3rd trimesters

[merryberry]

Hello all.

I agree with Skidoodle, what pots, mats and stuff are you talking about? Please, help.

Paranoid1stTimer I am a worrying first time Mom, too. But my BHs stop when I sit down, or just slow down. It is not always easy in the middle of the street mind. Hope somebody else can help.

P1sttimer, you've just given a perfect description of my experience of late pregnancy. Tick, tick, tick. i Get all the above, worse in pm than am as i'm more tired then!

it will probably ease off some when you go on leave and can rest. then you can work on getting really achy joints from sitting around too much...i did

sorry too tired to tackle rest of q's

Hello everyone - sorry for my MIA status as of late. I've missed you, dh keeps teasing me that I am exhibiting MN withdrawal

I was indeed on holiday for two weeks - quite possibly the worst vacation I've ever been on - I had a bad fall (LO Ok), dh (man-flu!) and I sick, terrible food, comedic travel episodes, etc etc etc! So disappointing as was supposed to be our 'honeymoon' and last trip before LO. Nothing I can do about the latter but am thinking we need do honeymoon over :.(

Then I returned to a week of in-law visits (always stressful) and fairly severe
Braxton Hicks which landed me in the hospital for a night. It was an atrocious experience, more on that later. I also found out that I have Group B Strep which initially caused a panic that I couldn't have a water birth but seems it won't be a problem - huge relief.

Sorry for negativity - this past week has been good/healthy and BH settled down. Have been regrouping/doing lots of exercise/focusing on what I need to do with the last 8 weeks before LO arrives. I need to read through the last few weeks of posts and get caught up and write more later - until then CONGRATS on the new arrivals, so exciting to have some of "ours" born already!

Remember, meet up is on Saturday, and check out that thread if you are intenting to go as there is some discussion as to location. I sadly won't be there and but hope you all have fun!

MM

PS The raspberry tea tablets are on sale at half price at Holland and Barrett right now

welcome back love! so sorry you're not there tomorrow, and that your hol was a let down. Just glad you survived it, TBH! where did you go again?

The BH sound scary. Were they super bad? How did they tell they were not contractions in the end? How was being an inpatient in your experience?

ps just read Braxton Hicks questions and since am recent expert, can tell you what they told me. Bleeding or BH so regularly painful (for 30 min) you have trouble holding yourself up, you should call hospital/maternity ward. Everything else is basically uterus 'practising'. For runny tummy, I would call the MW as that is one thing they kept asking me in hospital. By itself it's prob nothing to worry about but with other things, can be a sign of early labour.

Tomorrow's meet up thread is here, anyone feeling decisive about calling the location?

Have added my opinion, but not too fussy re location. Hope everyone is having a good morning!

Skidoodle and Gingercat - I'm with you on puppy/pampers mats - what are they/do we need them/what for - anyone??

As to pots/top and tail bowl - basically you can buy top and tail bowls for washing LO keeping one side for each "end" of baby so as not to spread germs (go on mothercare site and search "top and tail" to see what I mean) - you use them when you aren't fully bathing LO. Some hospitals are asking you to bring your own in - my health visitor recommended rather than take such a bulky item, any 2 plastic containers would do - as long as you could clearly identify what one to use for what end (face/bottom) hope that helps!

Another use for top and tail bowl - my friend uses it at nappy changes - one side for the water and then the other side as a handy place for collecting the dirty cotton wool/wipes etc.

Is the right response to not knowing what puppy/pampers mats can be used for by a pregnant woman to be sat here furiously doing pelvic floor exercises in the hope I need never find out? Or are they actually for the baby and I've just missed the point entirely?

I've got a day off today and have been surprisingly efficient this morning - managed to get through all the admin for the day so can now relax. I'm trying to decide whether to go out for some fresh air or just to have a warm bath and cuppa (leaning towards the latter given the misery of west London weather today!)

Puppy mats are absorbent pads for puppies to pee on. They measure around 50cmx50cm so big enough to change a baby on. They sell them in pets at home or any major supermarket. The pads are just plain white whereas I guess the baby one have cute drawings on them which would somehow increase the price.

My list of stuff for hospital grows everyday. Will buy some containers for hospital instead of taking my top and tail bowl. Got the bowl from ASDA home in Lakeside for about £2.

Find it strange the thing about re-using pots. Have been given new pots by Doctor every time. At the hospital they use an open dish which I think is a bit disguting so get little tubes from Dr instead and go to hospital and Dr appointments with sample ready. Pots have to be sterilised, so just using washing up liq is not going to clean it I guess. But no expert. I pay enough contribution I think to get new pots I think. LOL at having to take own bed to hospital. Whatever next?

I thought the two compartments of the toptail bowl were one for water and the other for the dirty cotton wool as you use a new bit of wool every time. My friend goes through so much cotton wool it's unbelievable.

Has anyone bought a nice bfeeding nightdress? If so from where? I remember someone commenting on it but can't remember if it was MCare or BMarv.

I find it all very confusing, what to take I mean. MW said you don't get much space but then gives you a list as long as my arm with stuff including towel, bendy straws, snacks etc.

Sorry people!

It's my fault for the puppy pad discussion! I was half joking that I had a load of puppy training pads left over and that I might find them useful for extra protection from bleeding and for changing the baby. merry pointed out that the disposable baby changing mats are the same thing, so that's where all that came from. Sorry to confuse anyone!

OK, now it's time for me to be confused. Are you suggesting that the MW has you pee in one of those little pots and then says, 'here you go, take that home and use it again next time'??? So do they take responsibility if your test results are compromised by contamination, etc? That is the most bizzare thing I've heard about the NHS. But forgive me, I'm a foreigner!

Jfly...I'm afraid that is exactly what is happening. Not only do I have to reuse my pot, but it is handed back to me full so I have to dump it out myself or carry it around in my handbag! Was given a microwave steriliser that I am using for this purpose, but the midwife keeps saying "we're only checking for protein/sugar so it doesn't matter." Yes, the NHS is beyond help.

Wow- my surgery just hands pots out like sweets. Not too surprising as it is often chaos in there and I suspect many patients wouldn't bring a sample otherwise...

I thought that the puppy mats would be useful to sleep on afterwards. Just in case the brick pads leak?

Back to receiving blankets- the one in John Lewis is £18! for 2 bits of brushed cotton sewn together and blanket-edged. No way. I'm going to import them from good ol' Ontario.

Anyone else getting fixated about very small specific things? ie. I got stressed yesterday that I don't have any hats for the baby yet. Couldn't let it go until I went out and bought one! Will move on to puppymats now...

Ah the great NHS postcode lottery: everytime I ask for a new pot, they just hand over a basket of them so I can grab as many as I want! Maybe I could start a black market in pee pots...

Having said that, the pot budget is clearly bigger than the midwifery budget in west London because I have only seen a midwife twice so far and only get one more midwife appt before I give birth - all check ups have to be done by GP!

Brazilianmum - DH bought me some lovely nursing pyjamas from Blooming Marvellous for Christmas - lace trimmed so they feel quite posh but really comfy fabric. So I'd definitely check them out.

meant to be puppy - here's me trying to be all MN fancy!

Yeah, stop trying to show off, e14. You don't impress me.

My lovely best friend (in the States) made me some flannel burp cloths in sweet patterns. If I were that handy, I'd make some "receiving" blanket-type things. I know it's just a matter of stitching around the sides, but I'm terrible at sewing in a straight line. It's kind of fundamental. Not that the baby would care!

Am really stunned by the pee pot thing. My GP was concerned about some white blood cells in my urine so sent it off for more testing. Surely that wouldn't have come up if she had only tested for "sugar/protein".

JFly - I'm with you on the sewing. I've cut up an old dressing gown as the towelling is perfect for general muck cleaning (i.e. baby's bottom!) but I need to hem them and I'm fretting over my incompetent sewing. As you say, that baby won't care, and they're only for wiping his bum anyway, but I'm a bit too perfectionist to be able to deal with not being very good at something...

JFly and HQ- by "importing" I mean mom is going to Sears to buy some and put them in the post for me!
(On the sewing front, it's easier to use a wide zig-zag stich on edges than to try to make a turned-under hem.) hth

Hi ya everyone, i'm 31 weeks now and i've been off work since last wednesday! I have an 'acid reflux' according to my doctor. I can't keep my food down! Everytime I eat something I burp it straight up. I'm up all night puking up what I had eaten earlier that evening so i've been put on tablets.

I would love to say i'm enjoying my pregnancy! But my little one insists on getting stuck under my ribs on the right hand side, I can't sleep cause he's wriggling around constantly and I keep getting pains in my legs when I lye down!!

I'm sorry to whinge but I want to know if anyone else is getting these problems as well!

Thank you for all of the lists earlier in the thread ladies, incredibly helpful.

turtle I didn't make yoga on Wednesday because I have a bloody trapped nerve and I am on crutches. Bloody nightmare, I have been SO unlucky!

mistyamica - I also have acid reflux but have had it for years so am used to the vomiting now. I have anti-reflux tablets but the best drugs aren't allowed during pregnancy so be prepared for them not to be very effective. I would reccommend eating little and often and eating fairly bland food. Also, make sure you are regularly at the dentist as my teeth are awful from the amount of vomiting I have done over the years

Oh and turtle, do you know what a typical nanny would charge in Surrey? Am trying to look into potential arrangements and remembered you have been a nanny!

missingmyheels yeah the tablets aren't doing anything! Am eating little and often, but i'm moving out in two weeks and i'm currently staying with the mother in law until our house is ready. She keeps cooking meals and she is always fussing saying I must keep my strength up! So when I don't eat all of the meal I get worried she thinks I don't like her cooking! haha!

MMH- The best agency for you is called Buttons. Speak to Betty. It varies wildly, but having just finished working as a nanny IN EPSOM I can tell you that it's usually £60-90 NET per day. Depends on many factors, like whether you want a trained nanny or a Polish girl who's very helpful!! Hours are usually somewhere around 8 to 6/7 and you usually pay a placement fee of about 3% of their anual salary. If you don't want to go down the agency route you can use places like gumtree, but I wouldn't recommend it. Ifyou need anything drop me an email. I have been looking after little ones around this area for years...know all the best places!!
sarahturtlehopewell at gmail dot com. xx

Just to confirm the meeting at 2 tomorrow at the Starbuck in Villiers Street off Embankment Station.

From Embakment turn left towards the strand/Charing Cross. There is a SB outside Embankment station but it's small. Continue walking towards the Strand and the large SB is about half way up on the left hand side opposite EAT I think.

From Charing Cross - come out of train station and turn right and then right again towards Embankment Station/Thames, SB is half way down on your right hand side.

MumofBillytheKid and Brazilianmum Thanks a lot for the explanations.

e14 I am impressed by your sewing expertise. Used to do a lot myself, but have no patience at the minute.

Mistyamica I used to have acid reflux a lot in the 2nd trimester, but it is not so bad now. Feeling for you.