Due June 08 - Creme egg season is over, summer is now here, so time to tidy the ladygarden before the big day

[bitofadramaqueen]

I wonder how quickly we'll get through this thread?!?!?!?!

Josey Is it? Dont know have read so many things bout it all! I know in hospital they told me to lie on left for BP to go down but dont know bout turning round she seems to have loads of room still as head goes from left to right but not downat mo
Oh well as long as she is happy and is born somehow sometime and is fine thats all that matters

thanks for all your sympathy re: mat pay thing, met up with another doctor yesterday who had the same issue, so think it's going to be unresolveable. (that's 2 out of 2 that I know who've taken mat leave since august) will try the BMA though just in case. it's not as bad as it sounds, as I still get my occupational pay (i.e., full salary minus SMP amount for a couple of months and half for 4 months(?) so it's just the inconvenience of having to go and arrange mat allowance instead at such short notice. oh well.

Hope everyone is OK, no Gemma today? she's usually been around by now...

needahand - everything I've read says that oral antibiotics wont help clear up a GBS positive.

How quick were your other labours? Our tentative plan is now to head to the hospital for the first dose of antibiotics and then come home to relax (and sort out childcare for DS if needed) and then return to the hospital to give birth, my first labour was long enough that I'd feel comfortable going to the hospital for antibiotics before a homebirth.

I'm just really glad I know I'm +ve as it means we're no longer at a higher risk for a life-threatening infection and just adds a small hassle factor. I'm a worrier so I'm happy to lower our chances of problems by faffing around with antibiotics and such!

Hello everyone. I'm actually doing a full day's work for the first time this week and I'm knackered!!! However, for the first time I was kept awake by the baby at all hours last night so that's maybe why.

Essie - did you ask about jeans? I have to confess that a couple of weeks ago my thighs expanded quite considerably. It causes me considerable distress when I see them spread out when I'm sat down . However I keep telling myself that brisk pram walking in the summer will soon sort them out.

Ernest (I think) - re sling, is it feasible to order both sizes and then return whichever one is no good?

Re: braxton hicks - I still dont think that I've had any?

Thanks needahand re the arnica - there seems to be loads of conflicting info on whether to take 200c or 30c, so I think I'll just get what I can get and take that all the way through. My 'undercarriage' is still very sore so I'm a bit tempted to start taking it now!

Did someone ask about codeine? I was given something codeine based after my fall last week. I only took 2 of them (but was given 10) - I thought I might keep the rest to take the edge off early labour pains when I'm at home? If its ok to take them now then I figure it would be ok to take them then. (Dramaqueen waits for Laura to come and tell her not to be naughty).

Dylansmum - I'm totally sending you sympathy! I have hurt myself a couple times chasing after DS but no where near what you've had to go through! I hope the mother's helper is useful, it sounds like you really need it.

Paro - you've a great attitude about your wee one! I hope she turns for you, I've also heard that lying on your left is supposed to be the best way to lie down for baby positioning. It can't be comfortable to be transverse that way anyways!

josey - I haven't even been worried about after pains as this is only my second - oh no! Good reason for us to stop at 2 I think... Your DH sounds marvellous too - mine's rubbish at household cleaning but fortunately he redeems himself by being an excellent cook. My house will just be a tip for a while...

bitofadramaqueen - my undercarriage is getting sore too - I was wondering if it was due to the baby's head putting pressure on it because there's no reason for it to be hurting from the outside as I didn't fall. Does anyone else have this or know anything about it?

You have my sympathy aberdeen. Seems perfectly feasible that pressure from the baby's head could be causing you some discomfort.

Have you definitely not bumped yourself in anyway? Apparently a slight bump that you wouldn't even notice normally can cause quite a bit of pain when pregnant because your muscles are more relaxed etc (or something). That's why my fall caused such searing pain. I've got (even more) respect for everyone with SPD - not being able to move about freely for a couple of days without pain was driving me crazy.

nope - not even a slight bump - but it's not a horrible pain, just a noticeable tenderness. It doesn't sound anywhere near as bad as your fall!

DQ

re the codeine, the only thing about taking it at home in your early stages is that if it's less than four hours before you go into hospital they might not give you any for a while after you arrive. saying that, with surgical patients, we give them morphine on demand so to speak, so it should be fine, but midwifes are a law unto themselves!

Wow trying to catch up on everything - it's been a busy morning!

I've just read that birth plan & it's really freaked me out. I've not even done one yet 36+4, and half of the stuff that's said on it I didn't even know about!

I'm starting to feel really unprepared for this birth - and I thought I was reasonably ready.

Only one more day in work then that's it for at least 9 months, how long is everyone else having off?

AH undercarriage is painful hear as well almost as though I have saddlesore Im just putting it down to the weight as sure everythng will be hanging a bit lower gawds!
Seriously re afterpains, once you have had bubs and your all dreamy and the MW happens to pass and ask if you want painkiller(I was like no why would I need any nothing bad has happend to me)Take them all of a sudden bang especially when your feeding....I was quite good at labour but they were a major killer. A few days later I couldnt get out of bed in the morning it was still so sore I thought I was damaged for good.
Are you finishing work this week or are you still waiting till next?

I have given up on most of my jeans my ankles laugh at them nevermind my thighs

Paro if being on the left helps BP and we think it helps turn bubs then there cant be much to loose hey it will even be a different view for a few hours

Cramps and BH still getting to me lower back hurting me now too I have had enough.

josey
Going to have a sleep now and then go to ante natal classes. I reckon an hour on the beach chatting etc will be alright.
Dr did say could have ocasional walk etc and just make sure that if i did get up to do anything that BP went down after and that i rested after too

I agree with what you've all said about afterpains. After DS1 they were ok. After DS2 they were awful - much worse than labour. With DD I put in my birth plan that I'd like something for them and they gave me a suppository after they'd stitched me up.

Yeah, it was me and the jeans. Wore them all morning, but I've now changed into my linen trousers, and have decided that the best course of action is to avoid jeans that depress me - classic avoidance: thighs get bigger? (a) blame jeans (b) don't look at them any more!
Actually I do think it's the hip area mainly, but a baby has to come out of there, so...

Nesting like mad - reorganised my kitchen cupboards last night before I realised what I was doing!

Doing birth plan with mw on Sunday - but dead keen on my epidural idea because I'm a total wuss and considered taking a nurofen yesterday when my finger wart was frozen. So I really don't think that I'm the water-and-nurofen-if-necessary type!!

Currently not on mat leave officially, although nothing to do (due to work problems, my boss threw me out of my office, the idiot, and now I'm on full pay until my due date and no office to go to or any work to do!). I am trying to finish off a paper though, but slowly. Then I don't know with time off afterwards - my job expires in September, but I'm hoping for something else to start after Christmas. (I'm a lecturer, btw).

p.s. DQ - the thigh scene is more distressing than I'm making out, but I figure there's not a lot I can do (lunges? I'd fall over!) so that's a problem for next year!

josey - you've described my undercarriage exactly! Three more days of work left - I'm off tomorrow to get my haircut (last chance for a while) and then next week I work M-W.

My lower lower back is getting sore too, it helps to have something warm on it to relax thing. I think there's just too much pressure in the area right now! And we still have three weeks left...

I will definitely keep afterpains in mind and accept all painkillers when offered!

Essie - I'm supposed to write a book chapter between now and October and I've another paper to write as well so that's my current goal - write for 3 hours every day until the baby arrives, but it's very hard to get motivated isn't it!

Aberdeen - glad it's not just me! I keep finding other things to do, and so far I've done about 1 hour on the paper in the last 2 weeks... I really am supposed to be writing it right now!!
Ok, I'll switch off mumsnet and someone hit me if I appear here again within an hour...

Morning all
Half an hour til the midwife gets here. Will raise the possibility of the student midwife attending (she is FAB)after your encouragement.
Was wondering about Gemma too - maybe she went in? She was expecting induction if I remember?

Laura - sorry to hear your pay woes continue.

Will let you all know how my home birth visit goes. My birth plan is two pages but I just can't get it any shorter!

Paro - my mum lived in Spain and the Canaries for years in her 20s and she almost had my ears pierced when I was born, but I think my dad talked her out of it. Given the hassle and pain for baby it does seem like a nuts thing to do, but it is so part of the culture there.

Glad I'm not the only one with writing to do while on mat. leave! I have at least a chapter to write and various other bits and bobs ... had sworn that this time I would have 'proper' mat leave, after working on a journal special issue and an encyclopaedia chapter while ds was small, but it isn't that easy to time stuff, is it! So much for sleep when baby sleeps! Ds spent much of his first few months in a sling between my boobs and my laptop ...

Essie now is Not The Time to worry about thighs, put it out of your mind completely!!! Your body is storing fat for feeding baby with, it's what it's supposed to do. Your boss sounds an arse btw, not what you need right now, and also not the sharpest tool in the box - doesn't s/he realise how bad it looks to be treating someone about to give birth like this?

My undercarriage has been tender since she dropped, too - think it's normal. V. much looking forward to not being pregnant now.

Ta for heads up on afterpains and painkillers, had barely thought about that, def. worth knowing!

Afterpains - do you mean the feeling of the uterus contracting to its normal size, particularly during feeding? I had been fairly smug about these as I didn't find them too painful last time. But having read what Rolf said about them being worse second time round, I'm a little nervous!

GF, good luck with MW

Essie - glad its not just me with the thighs then [griv]. Loving your coping mechanisms.

LauraT - thanks for that tip. Good to know!

Anyone know re: painkillers post birth - is it ok to take nurofen once the baby is born? I know we cant take it just now, but assuming its ok afterwards? It's definitely my usual painkiller of choice and I cant see a couple of paracetemol helping out with sore undercarriages and afterpains .

AH - sounds like the undercarriage tenderness is common, and glad you've not had any bumps.

I haven't actually done my birth plan then so not reading that link until I've got time!!!

the timing is definitely not easy in academia! My book chapter was supposed to be due in June but has been delayed until October so of course I didn't start it until last week!

I only had a wee bit of writing to do in my first pregnancy, but had a lot of policy-driven advice requests to answer. I expect the same this time, but as I'm taking longer off work, I'll have even more to do!

And essie - honestly my thighs look awful right now too. I can't even look at them in a mirror without recoiling in horror at their lumpy state. But they looked that way last time and then did return to normal (keeping in mind that even at normal I never wear shorts or mini-skirts!).

Aberdeenhiker - timing, well, I'm supposed to give a paper on 16th July (due 12th June). My backup is to have someone else present it, but it's a major event, career making, and they couldn't do next year...
Mind you, another academic friend is horrified because her head of dept suggested that maybe she could use her maternity leave to get a book together, seeing as she would have a lot of time on her hands!!

Also, thanks to all on the reassurance - hopefully my thighs are not a lost cause, then, and normality will return! It's bizarre how body conscious and paranoid I am these days - it's not like I work as a stripper or anything, so nobody much gets to see them thighs. But still...

Afternoon All!

just a quickie before DD wakes up...

I'm also feeling pain around the pubic area- I think made worse by all the coughing and sneezing from this cold I've got. Have to curl up in a ball whenever I feel a sneeze coming. Can't be fun for the LO!

Essie- I'm with you on the hips thing, in fact I've swelled up all over and watch/ rings tight too. My hips got wedged in the bath for 2 weeks before DD1 was born . In my defense this was an old (narrow) bath and I put it down to the baby engaging. They pinged back after birth- unlike the rest of me!

Thanks for warnings re afterpains with DC2, can't rem anything first time so I am now prepared.

Paro- re ears, the only baby I know with a pierced ear is a 24 mnoth old boy of Polish extraction. Don't know what the standard is there, but suspect that the parents thought it would add some Beckhamesque bling. They were so wrong!

Arnica- I have a homeopathy for birth kit which has arnica with hypericum & calendula 200. To be taken from onset of labour to when bruising subsides. Don't really know what it means. But I would recommend Neal's Yard arnica & seaweed foam bath which is just lovely.
I'm going to try a homeopthic remedy for sickness- someone else mentioned.

Big Question about GBS . Is it tested for a standard/ will I know if I have it/ had no prob with DD1- does that mean I'm OK???
V ignorant on this... what do I need to know?