Due June 08: S**t, it IS June, and I still haven't packed my hospital bag...

[LauraT]

well it will be June on Sunday anyway! thought I should go ahead and start this as there were several votes for this name...

DQ - same here about swollen hands. It's (yet) another reason why I want the baby to come as I stupidly left my wedding ring on and now it's stuck. I can still twist it round, but can't get it over my knuckles, so if my fingers get any more swollen I'll have a problem with it and I'd hate to have to get it cut off. My BP was higher than usual last week but still well within normal limits.

After a few reasonable nights DD is now back to her old tricks. She's just come downstairs to tell me that she'd got into my bed and spilt some water on the sheets. At least it wasn't water from the loo!

We're running out of time for a weekend delivery aren't we!

Rolf I get that very same headbutting feeling and pressure on my right hip. Can only presume it is because baby is fully engaged.

Back from watching SATC with DH. Fab film and a really lovely evening out.

My hands have been very swollen this past week. They look a bit freakish and are all pins and needley tingly.

Have a good sleep all.

Glad you enjoyed it Bun!

Sleep well everyone. Josey - hope Olivia has a good night, and you and the rest of your family. x

My hands occasionally get a bit swollen and itchy too, but then seem to return to normal once I have had a sleep.

The urethra pain thing is q sharp, but again only occasional, sounds like some of you have described it. I get the shoulder butting my left hip sometimes.

Glad you enjoyed SATC Rolf. I could go and see it again I think! I may have to if this waiting continues much longer...(whoops, sorry, just broke my own rule about not moaning about being overdue)

Fingers crossed for your fantasy birth tomorrow Deb. Maybe I will go to bed and visualise something similar...maybe positive thinking is what is missing here.

Midnight Rant...
It's that time of year when the new-age festival lands in town.
What started in Medieval times as a trading fair got resurrected in the 70's as a bunch of harmless happy hippies sitting on the commons around campfires, drinking French beer, making their own music and smoking a bit of home-grown.

Now we get binge-drinking teenagers, sh*te rave music thumping all night, broken glass and rubbish everywhere, police helicopters circling and police sirens screeching, things getting nicked and for one weekend only a security guy on the door of the local co-op.

I wish they'd all f*ck off and go home- is this really progress?
Or am I just too old?

PearTart that sounds incredibly annoying.

Well, DD started off in her own bed but at some point in the night ended up with me. It's a guarantee of a crap night's sleep and I get worried about what it will be like when the baby is here.

I'm also worrying about how I'll cope on my own when the in-laws have gone. They are here until 26 June which suddenly seems awfully close. When we all thought the baby would be early it was ok - I'd have 3 or 4 weeks of help before they left. But now I can see myself doing the school run, managing DD and trying not to neglect the boys, with a 1-week old baby as there's no sign of anything happening.

I haven't got a double buggy and DD is far too unreliable for me to let her walk everywhere. I can use DD's pushchair and have the baby in a sling - but when DD was a baby my stomach/back combo just couldn't cope with a sling so don't know how I'll be this time. And if I send DH out to get a buggy board before his folks leave I can use the baby's pram with a buggy board for DD. Our double buggy isn't suitable for newborns but becuase I have one I'm very reluctant to buy another - I was kind of hoping it would all sort itself out and I could borrow one but given how anti-social I'm being right now that's not looking very likely.

We're getting building work done rather than buy a new car, so once the baby is here we won't have a car big enough to accommodate the whole family, or even me and 4 children.

and and and. God, what a lot of whining. Sorry. Right, will take my cloud back to bed.

Oh Rolf- Gentle hug. You will be able to cope without the IL's. You're perfectly capable now, with 3, and as your DC's grow up they will be more independent as well as providing entertainment for your NB. Sounds like you need that buggy board, but can you get a cocoon-type thing to fit in your buggy as a different option?
Get begging, borrowing, but not stealing, whilst you're still waiting!

Rolf - your 2 boys will be great, you will be fine.

Morning Sophie- much to do today?

Fresh pineapples: 2 so far...
Green curry: 1 (v nice, no effect)
Sex: not yet
My big walk y.day elicited some very impressive aches and stabbing pains at the time and nothing since.

Baby keeps trying to stand up in there...

Deb- loving your fantasy birth (cough, cough, plop!), esp the wishful thinking about finding a nice convenient parking space just outside the hospital entrance.

Breakfast for 8. 3 rooms to clean and change and a bit of gardening and pub for lunch.

How is your DD?

Morning everyone,

Hope everyone is feeling as well as can be expected.

Rolf, you'll probably be glad when your IL's leave so you can settle into your own routine.

I was eatng quite alot of fresh pineapple before I had baby until I read you need to eat EIGHT fr thgem to help you go into labour-I didn't have the stomach or the money for that!!!!

Pub lunch sounds good.

DD a lot better, thanks, temp normal and we're going for a Sunday splash in a bit, since the pool is 12 doors away.

[hugs] Rolf. Do you think you can ask your in-laws to stay for longer? When is school out? You are so capable with everything you do, it will be fine. But that probably doesn't help right now.

Peartart, sorry about your medieval fayre! We had the council round about our noisy neighbours last night - so if you are getting old, so are we. When did all stop?

For those with urethra pain, I hate to say it but mine has eased considerably with antibiotics for cystitis. Sorry, just a thought.

Aberdeen, how are you this morning?

PP, DH is very jealous of your DH.

May we have a flood of babies today!

G43- 8 , and then do you give birth to a beautiful baby pineapple!

Hi UDC- bring on the baby flood!

Your neighbours sound bad- having to get the council round. I wouldn't mind a few dippy hippies, but it was the w*nker with the toy trumpet and his mates with whistles going up and down the street for a hour that really annoyed me. That's when I regret living so close to town...
DH just laughed and asked if it was MakkaPakka!

8 pineapples!!!! That one that I ordered to come in my internet shop from Tescos today isn't going to do the trick then is it!

Rolf, I know it feels overwhelming at the moment, I am similarly wondering how the hell I am going to get my two and a newborn to the school gates for 8.45 every day. Try asking your inlaws if they could possibly stay around longer if you are struggling, I bet they'd be really reluctant to leave you if you are concerned with coping. Or, could you get another mum to pick up your kids and do the walk to school for you?

Where are this weekend's babies then? We seem to be a slow starting don't we!

An aside. DS this morning in the middle of a game of teddy bears' picnic:

'Oh no. That's teddy's fallen down. It's sleeping now. It's Mummy teddy.'

I obviously haven't been sparkling energetic mummy for the last few weeks then.

Well girls I ordered 2 fresh pineapples to arrive in my tesco shop between 7pm and 9pm on Thursday night and there was a comedy moment as I was heading out to hospital in labour in a lot of pain while trying to avoid the tesco van reversing up my driveway!

Yes, labour kicked off on Thursday evening. I started contractions about 5pm but very mild. Bit sorer while putting wee ones to bed between 6 and 7pm but sent dh out to his meeting at 7pm (2 mins away) if he promised to leave the second I called! They got really bad about 7.45pm, phoned dh to come home about 8pm, got my TENs on and made it to the hospital before 9pm. Was examined at about 9.45pm and was around 4cm, things got worse soon after that. Started gas and air (which i just LOVE) about 10.15pm and things were better for about 20 mins until i hit transition. I then spent about 30 mins pushing which was GRIM (longest 2nd stage of my 3 and truly horrible though i was very out of it on G&A). Anyway, Rebecca Grace was born at 11.08pm weighing 6lbs 14oz. We had the paeds and hearing check done really promptly and were at home and tucked up in bed together by 2.30am. The best bit was our ds (5) and dd (nearly 21months) coming through in the morning having not known we'd gone in and there was their wee sister, very special.

So we're utterly loved up if a little shattered. The rest of the household's gone to church, Becky and are chilling together. Dh has 2 weeks off starting tomorrow, lovely.

Much sympathy to those who're finding the end of pregnancy grim. I was so fed up. I was having a wee nap each day which was helping a lot, but I already feel worlds better physically.

Morning everyone, looks like it will be a lovely day here today.

No news from me. Have bags pretty much packed now, even wrote down a birth plan last night so feeling more prepared. Every little twinge I keep wondering if this might be it, but no nothing yet!

UDC - LOL at your DS's mummy teddy!

Giving birth to a pineapple sounds prickly. Which way counts as breech do you think? Leaf end first sounds especailly bad.

Bad luck for the people with noise issues. I lived in a flat in Notts a few years ago and we had the worst neighbours who regularly went on all night benders. I often ended up sleeping with ear plugs in and then sleeping though my alarm for work the next morning.

Rolf - sorry that you were awake worrying last night. I am sure that you will find a way to handle the enlarged family even if it's not obvious right now what that way will be.

tassisssss - congratulations on the birth of Rebecca. Sounds like it all went well, what a surprise for your other DCs!

tassisssss many congratulations found you on another thread - hows the after pains and gas and air is fab, very good for a hangover aswell. and how lovely for your children to wake up with a new sister in the house. Will add name to list.

Graduated
29/05/08 - neenz, esther and theo
18/05/08 - makecakes, Cecily jean Olivia
20/05/08 - Goingfor3 Harvey
24/05/08 - Katyjo Mia Joanne
29/05/08 - pyjamrama William James Frederick
30/05/08 - Paromapu, Fleur
01/06/08 - greenfairy - Storm Josephine Francis
04/06/08 - Josey - Oilivia Margaret
05/06/08 - ernest - DD
05/05/08 - tassisssss - Rebecca Grace

Still waiting:
Early June - Kif -(DC3)!
31/05/08 - systemsaddict -(1 ds 1YO) GIRL
31/05/08 - lazylou -(1 DD 3.9/ MC September 04)
01/06/08 - laughinglil -(3YO twins)
01/06/08 - Trix11 -(DS and DD)
01/06/08 - alipalli -(1st baby)
05/06/08 - Tizzwizz -(MC June)
05/06/08 - emotionalwreck
05/06/08 - aberdeenhiker -(DS, June 06)
05/06/08 - mistermoo -(DD5, DS3)
06/06/08 - Calebsmum -(DC2)
06/06/08 - supperwoman -(DC2)
06/06/08 - nettiehay -(first baby)
06/06/08 - Lucy0608 -(1st Baby)
07/06/08 - Debinaustria -(2 ds's 8 and 6)BOY
07/06/08 - mellymel -(DS 14 months)
07/06/08 - dylansluckymum -(1DS 23 mos) BOY!
07/06/08 - Rolf -(2 dss 8 and 6, 1dd 2) GIRL
10/06/08 - basilbrush -(1 DS Feb 06, 2 m/cs 2007)
11/06/08 - Amberc
12/06/08 - Pregnant Penguin -(1st baby) BOY
12/06/08 - essie3 - (first baby)
14/06/08 - Deese20 -(1st Baby)
14/06/08 - PearTart - (DD1 is 19 months) GIRL
15/06/08 - Jules43 -(1st baby)
15/06/08 - sybilvimes -(2 dc)Boy!!
16/06/08 - xxgemmalou22xx (first Baby)
17/06/08 - GardenAngel4 -(DD 7months)
17/06/08 - fungle - (2nd baby)girl(got DD4)
18/06/08 - Josie57 -(ds1 13 months, mc sep 07)
18/06/08 - hedgehog1979 -(first baby)
20/06/08 - babyalfie -(got 3 DC - 16, 14 & 7)
20/06/08 - poppy34 -(2 m/c, one ds lost at 21 weeks) (GIRL)
20/06/08 - whinegums - (first baby) BOY
21/06/08 - HeyBaby07 -(First Baby)
21/06/08 - Hoggle -(First Baby)
21/06/08 - needahand -(DC2) (boy)
21/06/08 - Wigeon -(First Baby)
22/06/08 - Upsidedowncake -(1DS 27 m, ep Aug 07) GIRL
22/06/08 - bitofadramaqueen -(first baby)
22/06/08 - august26bride -(First Baby)
22/06/08 - spongebrainbigpants -(m/c twins and singleton on 2006, all IVF pgs) Boy!
22/06/08 - ktpie -(first baby)
23/06/08 - looneytune -(DS 4 yrs) BOY
24/06/08 - puddock -(first baby)
26/06/08 - LauraT (first baby)
26/06/08 - Claphamkitten -(first baby)
27/06/08 - sophiewd -(DD 22 months) section booked on 19th June
30/06/08 - capricornqueen appt-(DD 2yrs)
30/06/08 - Kittyjimjams -(2 MC)
Gemzooks - EDD???

tassisssss, congratulations, that sounds like an idyllic scenario all round (except the pushing stage ).

Rebecca Grace is a lovely name, and how wonderful that your DD and DS were introduced to her in such a special way too.

Let's hope it encourages a few more babies to arrive now!

Thanks all!

Afterpains are a lot better, thankfully. Probably TMI, but I passed a clot with wome membranes in it and the midwife reckoned that could've been why the pains were so bad, body trying to expel clot. Did start to wonder if I was having another!!

Right just running a bath so off for a soak. Enjoying an empty house.

How're the other new babies doing? Rebecca had a really great night and has been napping in her crib a bit more. Seems to like being swaddled. Milk's coming in, she's fed like a pro from minutes of being born (my other 2 were too sleepy to be bothered for the first 24 hours or so). Utterly adorable.