Due November 08 - We're STILL a bunch of worrying fusspots who don't know what we want to eat, but pass us the cheese (and rice if you must ) purlease, while we wait for 12 weeks

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Here's our shiney, new and slightly ameneded thread to reflect our main topic of conversation recently! Really didn't want to mention the cheese and rice in the same sentence, but as it is a favourite with so many of you, I had to add it in, sorry to Hanaflower!

ooh cricri, that's a point; I need some refresher AN classes. It's 6 years since I had any lessons in breathing techniques, and a fat lot of use they were anyway. At least with the doula she can coach me through it I suppose.

My doula suggested I transfer my care to LGI rather than St James's as they have water birth facilities; on the basis that if I'm in the water, they can't very well do continuous monitoring! I hadn't considered a water birth.......

I would love a waterbirth. My midwife mentioned it to me yesterday. I would lvoe a home water birth. DH goes scuba diving so I have visions of the MW shouting where's the husband, and in comes DH with wetsuit, mask and Fins on

PMSL Pinkali - I had a waterbirth in hospital with DS and it was great. The only way I can guarantee one though is to have one at home, there is only one birthing pool at hospital and if someone is using it you are up the creek! I don't like the idea of having a normal delivery room in hospital and want the same as when i had DS but obviously not guaranteed - are they happy to do one at home - do you have to pay much for the pool etc?

X

Well they said it would all depend on how I progessed in pregnancy but that they couldn't see any reason why not. I love the thought but at the same time as the MW pointed out, if anything went wrong we are at least 45 minutes from the hospital so I may be putting me and baby at risk. Only because as it is my first they are not sure how I will be in labour.

NOt sure about the pools. Iknow you can hire them, but also my DH knows someone who sells them and then you make it into a paddling pool when baby is older.

Creena your older children sound fab, helping out. My two are 17months apart- my youngest will be two when bean arrives. They are really great together, very funny. I have no idea what it's going to be like with three- a madhouse!

I kept having that feeling that there would be nothing there when I went for my scan- my little faint blue line seemed so long ago. I hope you enjoy seeing PEa tomorrow, Pinkali.

Lackadaisy- I was talking to some of my mummy friends today about having a vba2c- and they thought I was mad- they both had 2nd dgreee tears with both babies (2 each), and pointed out that I am still in 'honeymoon condition' down there, which has set me off in a quandry again.. glad I've got plenty of time to make my mind up.
I have looked up a couple of doulas in my area- they are not as expensive as I thought, it looks like a good idea.
I was going to say- first timers you may want to look up your local NCT classes if you want them, as they get booked up very quickly. It's great to have met some people in your neighbourhood having babies at the same time- I still see my NCT friends regularly.

Would love a water birth.

Hi all

Sorry, have been on the missing list for a while. I had the last week off work, which I was so incredibly thankful for and feel a lot less tired than I was so haven't logged on and have now spent ages reading all the posts to catch up!!

I have a question, has anyone had an elective cs? I need to have one and will break this to the mw when I have my 12 wk scan next Monday (V V excited ) but I'm convinced that I am going to be treated differently after that, so a bit worried. I haven't had a booking in appt with a mw yet as my GP asked for the early scan directly as we though I was a lot further on than I was so i seem to be out of the loop. I have the scan booked so will talk to that mw then but I worry that I may see someone different this time! My GP has faxed the request again and given me a copy of the letter to take with me so fingers x'd I'll get an appt soon!

Sorry to ramble on but I really am worried about this as have heard of people being treated differently due to the whole cs thing.

xx

HI Autumnlady, I have had an emcs and then an elcs. It was left an open decision for me by the mw until 36 weeks (consultant saw it differently and didn't give me a choice but that's another story). The midwives on the whole were fine with me, some nice, some not so nice- normal thing. You may be seen by different midwives, as you will have combined care between consultant clinic mwives and the regular communtiy mw. hth

Hi everyone, Hope you are all OK.
Welcome Jette.
LOL Pinkyninky my friend also refers to me as 'honeymoon fresh' and finds it hilarious!
MIL is trying my patience she came to the scan with me last week and keeps harping on about how I should never have had CS with DS (My BP was off the scale and they couldn't bring it down, aparently it was touch and go for me but I was not aware of it at the time the CMW told me when I was home) and the latest is that you will never experience anything like the feeling of giving birth to your own child and I def should this time. Thankyou MIL with all your medical training I did not feel bad until she started!!
She is doing my head in!!
Sorry for the rant and the long post.

Oh no Bubbaz, have no fear, you are not alone. I love my MIL, she can be much nicer than my own mother at times, but after a three day labour and emcs I did not particularly warm to the 'too posh to push' conversation she was having with my SIL...

Thanks Pinky I know that there will always be those who disapprove of elective cs but I do have a 'real' reason and my GP backs me all the way! Such trauma and I'm still such a long way away! Did it take you long to recover from it?

Autumn - I really wouldn't worry about asking for an elective c-section, particularly if there is a medical reason for it.

Some women feel they have 'missed out' on giving birth if they have a cs - I am not one of them! I just look at it that DS had to come out and it was better to do it in whatever way was the safest for both of us - I certainly don't feel I have 'missed' out on a being a woman or anything by having an emcs.

Have still not decided what I am going to do this time round but my instinct is to have an elective cs.

The elective- no I felt fine. You HAVE to do no heavy lifting- no heavier than your baby for the six weeks, and I would strongly recommend you stick to that as herniating your bits is no fun, I know someone this happened to. They give you diclofennac usually and it's very effective.

Thanks ceebee and pinky you've made me feel a whole lot better already! I know i shouldn't worry but I have just heard bad things from other people, but I guess everyone has their own story to tell. Will broach the subject on Monday when I get to see 'bump' again - 12 week scan and will be relieved!

Thanks Pinky I usually love mine too but she has her moments!!
Autumnlady and Ceebee I too do not feel like I have missed out by not giving birth I was OK and so was DS and that is all that matters.
I too am not sure what I want to do this time - I have heard more horror stories from Natural labours then from CS, I have to see the consultant at 34 weeks and see what he says but I would be very happy to have an elec!

Congrats to all those with good scan results - what a relief.
Autum, I had an el cs aswell. Midwives did not treat me differently. Best thing I ever did. Will prob have one this time aswell, they do seem to prefer them for diabetics, at Kings.

Mad4 has started another thread - come and support her ladies, she is having a really hard time of it :

link

Hi ladies, my scan day tomorrow -ahhh!!
Feel excited and scared and seem to delete as appropriate each day.
Just discovered some baby ducklings in my gardens, must have just hatched. Hopefully it is babies all around xx

well done Oblomov for pointing us to Mad4's thread...I have just left a message there as well...it's a bit like marriage this antenatal thread like...for better or for worse eh!

Oh Baby Ducks...how fantastic!! Do youkeep ducks then?!

DM xx

Dozy - big hugs -

Lacksa, when I had my booking in appt with the midwife, she told me that if I paid for a private nuchal scan (which I have decided to do), I should cancel my dating scan with the hospital, just like you said. Does that mean that the nuchal scan gives you all the information you need, e.g dates etc? Also, when she was talking to me about where/how I would like to give birth, she said that at the moment a water birth isn't an option, as the pool at the LGI has been condemned!! You would think that by November they would have it all sorted, but you might want to check it out for yourself. Anyway, I have opted for Jimmy's - I think I remember you telling me that you got really good care there, is that right?

Hi Guys,
good news for all the scans, and there are so many comin up!
Thanks for the advice about booking up for the NCT classes whoever posted that (its just taken me 20minutes to read through thread from weekend!) , i will get on that 2mw!
I had my 1st lot of bloods done 2 weeks ago but havent heard anything since - does anyone know...are u supposed to contact hosp/docs or just wait, or do they write/phone with results or juts leave it if theres nothing wrong? being a newbie im not sure, i know it seems like s stupid thing to ask?!

Dozymare no we don't keep ducks they have just decided to nest in our garden. Don't know why as we don't live near any water!!
So cute.
Juanitad i'v got my private nuchal scan tomorrow and have not told MW or hospital and am still going for my dating scan at 15 weeks. I want to see my little bean as much as poss. I will let you know tomorrow if they give you all the info on dates at the nuchal scan though.

Good luck with scans tomorrow. LOla- ducks- my DD favourite word! How lovely.

emmanj There are no stupid questions!
You don't normally hear about bloods unless something comes up. Results will be in your handheld notes when you get them at 24??is it? weeks. If you want to know about any particular result, I would ring up and ask. I always ask about my iron because it's usually low, and they don't always get back to you.

Evening All - chatty day today. I'm feeling massively better on MS front, just odd bit of feeling yuck if I don't eat regularly enough and energy levels are going up. I still feel so challenged though. I am huffing and puffing just walking the school run, usually I jog with buggy to keep up with DD on bike but now she just has to wait for me at every corner. But at least I'm off the sofa now, well until 7.30 at night anyway. This is good as I'm pretty much back to my old routine which is keeping my mind off worrying about baby. I'm pretty affected by the fact that last time I carried round dead baby for about 3 wks until 11wks at which point i had some very mild mc symptoms. Up until then I had felt joyously pregnant. I am still pretty haunted by it and didn't fully realise until now.

But onto happier thoughts. WATERBIRTHS. I had my second in water at home. It was great. We live in London and reinstated an old Victorian fireplace to have a real fire going. My hippie MW was beside herself, kaftan swirling chanting a "fire and water baby". Mad but great. The pain relief you get from water is fairly effective. My husband was a bit anxious about waterbirth and after a bit of prodding he came clean that he was worried about being nudie in pool in front of the midwives. (I think he's spent too much time in Finland where he'd often go swimming in the public pools wearing just googles and swimming hat). The pool is for me I reminded him. He seemed to think it would be some kind of rugby bath where everyone could get in for a bit of bonding. Even so cant think why he thought I'd need him to take his speedos off??? A few of my friends have gone for waterbirths in hospital and practice in one London hospital that I've heard of is that you can labour in pool but they don't allow you to deliver in pool and whip you out in good time. I've got some amazing photos of my baby boy emerging with open eyes and floating up to surface, only me and DH have ever seen them! Its a bit like that Nirvana album cover (well a bit).

I'm trying to imagine what life may be like next week, telling people I'm pregnant and feeling properly pregnant.