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...

Good luck Greenfairy.

Deb - lovely MIL was going to ask if she could come and do my ironing 2 hours and very swollein ankles later.

Have no one booked in tonight, yay.

Aw, how nice of your MIL deb.

SA totally agree with you. Having said my induction was not that bad, I'd still rather not have another. I hate all this talk of "allowing" us to go to 42 weeks - whose body and baby is it anyway?

Last time I was on stand by from 36 weeks. Had been having "false" labour pains and was checked out in hospital where they found I was 2cm dilated. Needless to say, I stayed 2 cm dilated for the next 5 weeks - maybe that is why the induction was fairly uneventful. Did however, end up having DD delivered with forceps due to large head (38cms) not descending!

Personally I am already fed up with the phone calls, the people I see everyday checking up on my progress and even people I don't even know asking me the same questions. Yes, I have a large bump, yes it is low, yes I am due in 3 weeks time (maybe I should have a t-shirt made up along those lines). Aaargh!

Feeling better for small rant!

Everybody knows when I am having the baby, so am not getting the phone calls, like last time.

Rant away bun2

I'd quite like a tshirt that said 'I'm keeping fine thank you, no really I dont know what the sex is, yes we have thought of names but we're not sharing them and I know I should bloody sleep now while I can'.

On the back I might be tempted to put 'Oh and just because you've had kids doesn't mean you're an expert on how I should raise mine!'.

Crikey, I'm cranky!

Loving the ranting Bun2 & DramaQ. I'm a lot less tolerant of baby related queries than I used to be:
"When are you due?"
Soon.
"Do you know what it is?"
A baby.
"You're big aren't you?"
Really? The diet can't be working then.

It's bad enough from friends and family, but when people in queues and shops start I just can't be bothered being polite anymore. I really want to say "why do you care? We're never going to meet each other ever again!".

Cranky? Hormonal? Moi?

Let's not forget the old favourite 'ooh, not long to go now!'.

I'm loving the fact that you are all on the same wavelength and know exactly what I mean.

Love your rants DramaQ and PP. LOL. Think I will steal some of those answers myself next time.

Feeling so hormonal today. Think I have been a complete cow to my DH and DD.

Hi Everyone,

I've made a resolution not to open every post by telling you that nothing has happened yet. It would make me just as bad as the people ringing "just to check". MIL called this morning "just to check", she is v. excited, bless her.

No re-appearance from Greenfairy - assume still at hospital and things are progressing... hope that it's all going well.

The "due month" concept came from a book called Blooming Birth which I found really good and would recommend buying to those of you with a few weeks still to go. I bought a second hand copy from Amazon for a couple of quid and was impressed by how quickly it arrived, and the postage costs (better than buying new from Amazon imo). Of course, I've not had LO yet, so there is no proof in the pudding so to speak.

Has anyone else watched the Ricki Lake (yes, I know Ricki Lake, but humour me here) documentary "The Business of Being Born"? This pretty clearly outlines the "cascade of intervention" concept. It is also a really interesting look at the US approach to obstetrics. Made me glad we are dealing with the NHS! I think a link to the whole film was posted on another thread by fabsmum. this thread Think some of you might find the film interesting, but I'm not posting the link because I am on some kind of moral crusade promoting home birth, my birth plan pretty much says "give me what I need when I ask for it, thanks"

Most amusing moment of a quiet day was electrocuting DH with my TENS machine when we were checking that it worked. His quote: "this really is an instrument of torture". Yes why don't you try childbirth?

Wonder how Greenfairy is getting on, bet she'll only be back to tell us the baby has arrived. I also think its likely that Deb will be next - and that I want my toe nails painting but am afraid to let dh near then as he's not good at that sort of thing!

Oh I hope so Sybil - new photo on my profile

happy birthday sponge - hope you're having a fab day

hope everything going nice and quickly for greenfairy.

sybil know what you mean re nail polish -have chip on one of mine which is annoying but would rather wait to get it done than have to attempt to get dh to do it..not that he would I think.

bun2/SA@ spot on with your rants re when are you due - Bun2 have also worked out that baby may be due in july if late so that is not a happy thought.

Started to get very puffy feet and ankles -any good tips for relief apart from putting your feet up?

Good luck TGF
Happy Birthday Sponge

I'm another one who had a terrible night's sleep and my goodness am I being horrible. I have been on a total hysterical bender since Friday - my poor family. I am just desperate to be on my own and to rest but instead have a house full of people who won't leave me alone. I've had a few texts and phone calls from people asking if there's any news and I am so close to telling them to f* off. I'm also convinced things are going to go horribly wrong so spend all the time crying .

What colour are your toenails, Deb?

Greenfairy - Good luck! Hope you are right now getting on with having your baby!

DQ - I know what you mean about achieving nothing, all I've done today is the washing up and I had a nap! Not very productive. Can I have a copy of your t-shirt too, exact same things we end up saying to everyone.

Alipalli - I have Blooming Birth too and have found it really good, I got it from The Works for a couple of quid.

Poppy34 - have not yet found cure for puffy feet and ankles. Rest is good, as is a foot massage - these bring relief but don't actually bring the swelling down. July baby is not a cheerful thought, I agree.

Alipalli - thanks for the book recommendation will see if I can get it. Another good book to try is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. She is an american midwife but her book is well and truly worth a read. I think that all pregnant women should read it, it has certainly given me hope of a good "natural" birth experience.

greenfairy Good luck, hope all is going well!

Sponge Happy birthday and well done on getting to the 37 week mark, it was a huge milestone for me too,

Bun2 38cms sounds really painful!!! How much did your dd weigh?

Watch out for that chicken behind you Debs! (Great photo!)

bun2 have done a trawl through old posts on puffiness -and assuming all ok re pre eclampsia (which think it is as bp etc all fine) -various tips are drink lots of fluids, gentle exercise, bananas (apparently they contain potassium) and crushed juice from cucumber...so will be trying to see if they make any difference (only thing I can vouch for is that gentle walking doesnt' seem to have made puffiness any worse)

my parents have started phoning daily for updates...very tedious!

my feet are ENORMOUS and i have horrendous heartburn

Deb - fab picture, where you live is so beautiful... sigh

poppy34 thanks for the puffiness tips. I meant to add that pineapple is supposed to have an "anti-puff" effect (as well as the well documented effects!). Gentle exercise does seem to help too.

goingfor3 She was only 7 pounds, but most of it head! Seriously, she was very long and thin and they think she had lost some weight due to being overdue (they think my placenta had stopped working efficiently). Had no pain because I had an epidural, but had a foreceps delivery and an episiotomy but this did not bother me too much (not as much as friends of mine who tore). I took arnica and I think this helped.

Evening all...

My puffy feet are curently the bane of my life. The weather is foul and I do not have a single pair of shoes that fit without causing discomfort except for my birkies and assorted flip flops.

Thinking I need to get some 'covered in' flat comfy shoes but I have difficulty with this at the best of times as I have wide feet and high instep anyway. Dont want to spend too much money either . Would also like something that will be comfy when power walking with the pram post-baby (I will, I will, I will get some exercise and be able to look at myself in the mirror without wanting to throw myself on the bed and weep!).

Deb - love your latest pics, you're looking in good shape.

Rolf - sorry you're feeling so bad, why not tell them to feck off anyway and blame the hormones?

Tomorrow I start my long to do list which includes finishing packing my hospital bag and starting to write birth plan.

But right now I'm going to go and eat ice cream and strawberries (well, I cant do anything about my weight until after the baby arrives now ) and wait for Lost to start.

bdq - totally sympathise re feet.. only thing I can suggest that is covered are crocs... if you can bear them. Mine are very comfy and have invested in one of their flat pairs that look like ballet pumps (were about £20 but know you can get cheaper ones).

crocs also not bad for walking afterwards.

Enjoy strawberries and lost...

Evening All,

Had an eventful weekend:
Went to A&E this am as DD was still limping after a trip last night. She'd tripped on the carpet whilst running about after her bath- hadn't hit anything, but cried for ages and her foot was swollen. We 'd given her arnica & calpol but decided to take her in when she was still tender this am...
However as soon as we got to the children's bit of A&E she started charging around the toddlers' waiting room with their push-along toys. The lovely doc who saw her and checked her foot said she's just fine and only a bit of soft tissue injury. And she's been fine since. Don't know if I was too quick to assume the worst, but glad she was seen by a professional.

After all that excitement DH persuaded me to go to the nice child-friendly pub for lunch- on the basis that it's next to the co-op and we needed a pint of milk. Clever him. I agreed on the basis that it might be the last for a while (or since last weekend!)

As far as bump is concerned -I've had a few tightenings after a walk to the ducks/ park, but that really is scraping the barrel of wishful thoughts... Don't like to think that it could be (gulp) 4 weeks before I meet my new babe.

I'm fed up of feeling like an overcooked potato- I'm resembling one more with each passing day. Hate how my face has become very round with bags under eyes...

I do have nice shiny pink toe nails- deep rose pink, and smooth heels. The difference between ankles after a couple of minutes foot massage from the therapist was amazing.

Green Fairy- good vibes for your birth...

BDQ- I hope you have a better night's sleep tonight and don't need to hit the gaviscon as much

Spongebrain- Happy Birthday!

Rolf- rant away- you can say what you like here. It's crap having to play host when you don't want to.