Due June 08: A few eggs have hatched, we wish the rest would GET CRACKING!!!

[systemsaddict]

Let's hope the rest of the eggs get cracking very soon!

Great - am managing about 3 cups of RLT at the moment.

Am on the birth pool in a box website - about to order!!!

My boobs are not leaking but if I give them a squeeze some colostrum comes out. They are jolly tender though.

Having had both the tea and the tabs I think the tea is better - seems to provoke loads more BH. There is 1g of RL in each serving of tea and 400mg in a tab. I think 3g of RL is the maximum per day you are meant to have. It is fairly horrible though but I kept thinking it might be nice chilled with ice cubes!

i think i must be really weird because i love the rlt! i find drinking it just very warm is perfect and it makes my body feel not as hot.

needahand sorry you were neglected! i've been gone for a few days and wasn't missed either - promise to be more observant in future!! hope you start to feel better, it must be awful to be all dehydrated.

josey thinking of you and Olivia. hope today was a good one.

you've all made me realise i should probably at least take the pool out tonight and see how big it is and if it actually fits where i want to put it! not that i've been lazy or anything...

Fungle- also in PJ's

I have my RLT cold. Make a batch and leave it around. I don't love it, but it's not disgusting!
Just made a batch yesterday, and was thinking it might be the last batch I ever make. Getting a bit down because I reckon I'll go overdue. Was ok about it but now want a baby!

Mind you, natural induction - my DH has just gone back to London for 1 night only to sort out something there. He said if I'm going to go into labour, best done before he gets to Crewe because after Crewe it's tricky impossible for him to get back... If it's after Crewe, he can get a train at 6ish (AM)! This could do it, according to sod's law! Might even make my labour really quick too .

p.s. thanks to all re: colostrum. I'm not keen on the idea of experimenting/squeezing either. In fact, colostrum (including the jar I saw on the Parentcraft video) grosses me out. I'm quite strange, I know.

Evening all

DLM - any more signs yet? Fingers crossed that it's your turn tonight,

Rolf - don't bother with the ingestion method - it doesn't work !! DH says I need more to make it work

AmberC - lol at the seamen - I'd have a long way to go to find any in Austria!!!

Josey - hope you're doing OK today

Needahand - sorry you've been poorly

Absolutely nothing happening here, we can change Mil's fights but it means that we have her and my Mum staying at the same time - they get on fine that's not the problem but I wanted some time alone with my Mum, after having all this time with mil. The next cheap flightback is on 25th June, which is OK but my Dad arrives the following day, we are going to be knackered from all these people and desperate for some time as a family!!

I'm not leaking colostrum but can squeeze it out in the bath!!

Essie I'm not too keen on the squeezing of colostrum either.

Have realised that I haven't made any rasperry leaf tea yet!!!! Got my tea strainer now, but not sure how much I should put in the teapot. Can anyone tell me roughly how many teaspoons of leaves should I put in for a mugful?

just some very strong bh off and on, and also very achy boobs all of a sudden... anyone else remember this as a sign??

needahand we love you

I can't squeeze anything, no change in size or soreness,etc, mind you didn't last time either but have had a reduction so that explains that one.

And now fro seomthing completely different. The listed buildings planning officer came to see our coach house today and can see no reason why we can't convert, provided that he approves the plans and we give some nesting boxes for the birds.

Great news Sophie re the planning permission.

DH has offered to go out to get Thai green curry tonight. He must be fed up with me moaning about aches and pains. I know it doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of working tonight- these things can only help when your body is ready, but I do like Thai green so I said "Yes- just don't expect miracles". And then we don't have to cook/ clean up.
It seems he's doing the wishful thinking for me now. I was 9 long days late with DD1. So I'm here for the long haul...

DQ - My packet of RLT says a couple of teaspoons for a teapot. For my teapot that's two cups and it's not too strong, so I'd say just the one teaspoon per cup. I like it but sometimes add honey if I've made it too strong.

Thanks for all the advice re. RLT. Been having strong BH all evening with horrible crampy pains. Not getting excited because this went on for ages last time.

Going to bed now. Hope you all sleep better tonight.

Dylansmum - I think that yes it could be a sign, but maybe only because I have been getting really strong (what I presume are)bh for over an hour now at exactly 5 minute intervals and both dh and I are desperate to believe this is the start of something.

Having said that, the chances of me being here still in the morning are probably around 110 percent

ooh Sybil - sounds promising

Good morning everyone! 2 til 5 seems to be dd's preferred waking time Now we're back home, I'm sure we can enlist the help of 3 very excited, delighted, proud big brothers to help her wake more in the daytime.

So yes, briefly, went into labour (even) earlier than expected, had to go into hospital on the Wed eve, then I had the C-section on the Thursday am. They told me dh should get here at 7.30, but he had to sort out the boys etc, and couldn't get to me till 9 - I was starting to panic, but he got to me, and literally 2 minutes later they came to take me to theatre! He was lucky - I would've killed him!

Anyway, it was all pretty straightforward, although I hated the epidural - I'd never in a million years have one otherwise. I reacted quite strongly too - very spaced out and drowsy - and itchy!!!!!!!! I couldn't effing believe it. When the pulled her out, and everyone was calling, vaguely in the distance, what is it? It's a girl!!! I was just lying there spinning out, clawing at my face, hair, nose, shoulders, thinking how effing itchy I was. Then both she and I spent most of the day asleep.

Deb mentioned bf problems - basically, she didn't feed for the 1st 22 hours, and then for the next 24 she was still so sleepy she would have 2 sucks and fall asleep again. but she's finally woken up and feeding really well. It was a bit of a shock, as I'd never had a problem with her 3 brothers.

I would be delighted to be back home - except due to her early arrival, my mum and step dad are here - how I'll make it to Saturday I have no idea Their presence couldn't be much worse. They both irritate the hell out of me, he gives me the creeps and all they do is moan at ds3 and talk to him like a piece of shit, so that is very very stressful.

Dh is being unexpectedly magnificent tho

So despite the shock of no willy, she is absolutely beatiful and we're all totally delighted with her.

She's called Adele.

You are all going to start popping soon, and the list of graduates will fill up. I wishe you all the best

Josey, I was so shocked to hear your news I've tried to catch up, what's happening now? any news or developments? She's had an mri scan? Any results yet? And ds has also been in hospital? My God, I'll be really praying hard for all of you xxxxxx

Hey Ernest! Well done on the birth of Adele- lucky her having 3 big brothers to look after her. Glad she's woken p and feeding well now.
And I hope the irritants of itchy skin and mum & step-dad leave you alone soon. Vent all you like here!

I'm just up nipping to the loo, but the flippin' birds are so damn tweety I can't seem to get back to sleep!

Right I can tell that I am not the earliest poster, thought I would beat you all to it! Got up at 4 after a measly two hours slip with bad cramps. Thought the bug was bag but now I am not so sure. I have had yet another show (bloody this time) and seems to have stabbing pains regularly so I thought I would switch on Debs contraction timer. Will keep posting until DH wakes up or until it gets bad (if this is it). If you don't hear from me again before the end of today, I guess this is it...Part of me wishes this is it, the other part thinks (bugg--) I haven't even recover from the bug yet!

Thanks for all the hugs and and good wishes. Just felt a bit miserable and sorry for myself yesterday. The funny bit if I were in labour today was that I kept telling one of my IMW that the baby would come on the 11th starting with a show at 4.00am and water breaking at 6.00

Ernest congratulations on the birth of Adele, lovely name. Sorry you had a bad experiend with epidural. TBH that is probably why she didn't feed to start with. They say some babies are affected by epidurals.

Right the contraction timer tells me the "contractions" are every 2.30 to 4mns and last around 30 to 44 seconds. So not regular yet and not very strong but I think perhaps I should wake DH up and start to set up. We have a pool to fill after all. And I probably should have breakfast whilst I can still manage it.

Later all. I hope i'll have a baby later on. Beautiful day to have one... Fingers crossed

Good luck needahand, can't wait to hear!! and congrats again ernest. Good to hear your dh is being magnificent too!

A bit stop-start here, had definite contractions yesterday evening (seems to be a pattern now) but fairly painless to start off with, only 30-40 seconds long and widely spaced. Got more painful in the night - enough to wake me - thought this was it. Then ds woke up absolutely screaming, to the extent that we gave him painkillers and took him downstairs to watch DVDs till he calmed down. I never normally take him out of his room at night but this was something else. No idea what it was, he may just have been reacting to the vibes and general disruption, I suspect a nightmare but dp insisted on painkillers given he's been ill.

Anyway after that adrenaline rush of course nothing further happened, so back to drawing board, but hopefully it does mean something will have happened to cervix when I see dr.s today ... Also feel sick and really struggling to eat but forcing myself to have bits and pieces and drink lots.

good luck needahand! I hope this is it for you! With my first my contractions were irregular like you're having for the first while...

Oooh so excited Needahand- hope it all goes well and that you aren't sick. Did you put any money on when it would all start!! Hope you've got that pool filled now...

SA- hope you can have somthing to eat and get good result at Doc