Due June 08: less of the hens hatching, more of the cows milking?

[bitofadramaqueen]

Lets hope it's not too long before everyone is hatched and milking season is in full swing!

whinegums thanks for the greeting and the news story. It did make me laugh, as that scenario is my DH's total nightmare. Bless him. Anyway, will go for a tootle with the dog and see if the gravity is any stronger today. Good luck everyone and have a lovely day!

Great link whinegums - I'm straight in the bath when DH comes home later . I was also going to try another long walk today but it's supposed to pour down here too... Am cracking on with some of my to do list instead. Have realised that one way or another, the baby will be out within the next 5 days and I haven't done anywhere near all my pre-baby maternity leave projects! DH taking me to Ikea later for more storage boxes!

Thinking that I should do my bit for the economy and pop into Markies for cakes later on too...

Also...

Sarah hope you're not feeling too worried about the induction. My rationale is that tons of people have inductions and come through them unscathed, so there is no reason why I wont either.

Deb and Sophie I dont know where you get your energy from. I feel like I've achieved loads if I make the bed and get dressed before lunch

DQ, I know, wouldn't it be great - go for a soak, and oh look, there's a baby! Glad to hear you are supporting M&S in its hour of need - I did a cake run there yesterday.

Morning all.

sophie/debs. Co-sleeping is becoming the only way to settle Storm at night - she hates being 'isolated' in the basket. It is lovely but I'm so worried she'll overheat - I get hot really easily and she seems to as well. She only had a vest and a sheet last night, but I think my body heat is making her get too toasty as she was really dozy and with a sticky neck this morning - do you guys have this problem? Our mattress is soft so she ends up sliding into me - not good.

Tried a tip this morning for moses basket success which worked - hot water bottle in first for a few minutes, moved around anywhere her skin touches until it's warm, plus in her sleeping bag for about one minute to warm it up before popping her in. Normally the cool bedding wakes her up and makes things worse, but she hasn't woken yet and was put down an hour ago, so definitely a success.

Would love a nature's nest, but too much dosh tbh. If I ever get round to selling my birthing pool I could get one, but will I ever find the time?!

Oh people I'm so excited- I'm finally back online. How I've missed you all....will scroll back for the last baby list but will not be attempting to read two weeks worth of posts. Knowing us, that will be three threads!!

Move was a nightmare, but we are in, and online. Now I just have to get the baby settled again......will not bother you with my baby concerns today, will just sit back and smile at the interweb

Afternoon all,

Congrats to the new arrivals, Glad you are moved in now MCNW

Mum went home this morning so it is now just me and DH and Isaac, House feels quite empty and I have had to start thinking about things like laundry and loading the dishwasher, although as I haven't been able to get into the utility room for the last 6 months DH is going to think that all his christmases have come at once.

Isaac has been sleeping better since we started swaddling him. He had been in a sleeping bag but kept flaling (sp) about and waking himself up, so while mum was here she showed me how to do it with a sheet and then we bought a proper swaddling wrap and he has regularly slept at night for between 3 and 5 hours between feeds. The only downside is the fact that I have to unwrap him to change him.

Good luck to all those being induced over the next few days - once my induction was booked (only at 40+7 but due to medical reasons) I went into natural labour that evening so there is still hope.

On the Lunch/Evening Meal front I am v v lucky as DH works for a well known pizza chain and we can get deliveries pretty much when we want, also went to our local curry house last night for a take away, took Isaac and low and behold 45% discout -

Welcome back makescakes!

This rain is really pissing me off. I went for a walk yesterday and it pissed down and I didn't have my raincover for my pram. It is usually in the basket but it wasn't and now we don't know where it is - I think it might have fallen out somewhere. I have contacted the police and local paper - hopefully someone will hand it in.

So I had to cover the babies with my DH's liverpool FC training top - what a sight we must have looked in the pouring rain. I also had two loads of washing out at the time so that was soaked through as well by the time I got home.

And I have just had to run outside now to get more washing off the line cos we had a quick downpour. It is going in the dryer now, I don't care how bad it is for the environment.

Also the babies had their injections on Tuesday and have been really odd since - Esther first and now Theo, just crying and feeding. I tried Calpol, didn't seem to work for Esther last night, with Theo today I gave him some and then fed him (again) and he is now fast asleep. I think I will leave them both to wake up/feed when they want to rather than sticking to our usual routine. The poor loves!

They have been great for sleeping at night recently but last night they both wanted to feed after their normal 10pm feed so I didn't get to bed till 1.30.

They are sleeping in the nursery on their own at night, I am back in my own bed, and sometimes when they cry I hear them but then go back to sleep and dream that I have gone to see to them, then I wake up and realise I am still in bed and they are still crying .

OK so nature's nest now up but can't work out how to raise one end so help with reflux, have followed instructions but doesn't seem to have made much difference. Umm, may have to try and find instructions elsewhere.

GF - 27 oz!! my god that is some good feeding. Jamie made 10oz in 8 days and I was pleased with that. You must be exhausted. I bet you have lost loads of weight though!

Neenz - when I was at university I used to have dreams like that. I'd dream that the alarm had gone off and that I'd showered and got dressed etc, and then the alarm really would go off and I'd find I was still tucked up in bed. I remember being really cheesed off that I'd have to do the whole thing again!

The injections are horrible though and I am dreading ours. It is unfortunate they had them to coincide with the hot weather too. With my older two I just tried to keep them as cool as possible and as quiet, maybe hang around the house for a few days until they feel better.

Welcome back makecakes. Glad the move went well and your back online!

Neenz empathy with the rain and washing... Had just looked outside to see very big dollops of rain and had to run to the back to rescue two loads of washing that were just about dry. It's the quickest I've moved in 9 months .

TGF - that warming moses basket/sleeping bag sounds very sensible, will file away for future use! Assuming the baby every makes an appearance obviously...

makecakes - i was thinking about you the other day and wondering if you'd got moved . how's it going?

glad i'm no the only one co sleeping

they did the cot warming thing at the hospital here

Neenz sympathies with the dreams! I kept waking in the night hearing Iestyn cry and telling DH that he was in my arms - DH would panic (thinking I'd got up without him realising and taken Iestyn into bed) but it was all a dream - he was still in his basket! It's as if even when we're sleeping we think we're with them!

Was it Amber concerned about breathing? I got a v. expensive (actually half price on e-bay) baby monitor with a breathing sensor. It means I can sleep - I'm otherwise too paranoid. Even though we're low risk.

Probably cross posted with ten people - took over an hour to settle Iestyn just now! Also keeping a hawk's eye on the washing. Stupid weather.

Sorry - my baby monitor is a Tommee Tippee 'ultimate' but there are other brands.

I'm dead keen on Tommee Tippee everything at the mo! Their breastpads are really good. Better than Johnson&Johnson, although overpackaged.

Welcome HellBell we are all with you on the kind but annoying friends and relatives and endless texts and phone calls, I snapped one day and texted my friend that yes the baby had arrived and I just wasn't telling anyone. made me feel much better!

Sarahpo my hospital doesn't send you home in between the pessaries either, you're in until you produce a baby!

whinegums not me, but sounds like a plan! mind you have had a bath nearly every night this week and still no baby! totally recommend the grosvenor cinema baby thing by the way, you get a coffee included and everything! it was nowhere near as loud as I thought it would be either, and they don't show any trailers or adverts!

welcome back, makecakes glad you are all moved!

The rain up here is horrendous Neenz, hope it wasn't this heavy when you were out with the twins!

I am avoiding M and S today even for cake after yesterday, when yet another of their assistants thought it was her job to tell me that I was huge, when I was I due, was it twins and she wouldn't even have left the house at my size. bitch. how rude.

Greetings whinegums, hellbell, bit of a drama queen and any others awaiting their inductions. I was wide awake at 4am having horrible thoughts about what is going to happen next week...had an hour of deep sleep today and feel so much better...the baby has to come out whether he/she likes it or not i just have to keep telling myself that. I have a morbid fear of hospitals though...still DH will be with me, i can't believe he wanted to pack me off last night! He probably wants some peace to watch the tennis :-)

oh and yes any more texts saying 'any news?' and i am going to scream and one friend in particular phoning me saying 'i never see you very much anymore' yeah there is a reason why: I CAN'T MOVE!! hehehehe

Folks awaiting induction - or birth! Thinking of you all.
I had a great aunt who claimed that she carried her second child for 11 months. She wasn't a woman who made up stories in a silly way (like some old women - eg. my grandmother - do) and she was a farmer's wife so not at all confused on the birds and the bees. I always wondered what happened before induction.

Also, totally in awe of the NHS at the moment. I mean, there are bad bits, but looking back, pre-NHS and proper medical care, I probably would have got a serious infection and died, only because my placenta didn't come out. Very minor, but potentially deadly without medical care. Sobering.

Laura, can't believe the comments from M&S assistant!!!! I would have asked if she realised how rude she was! Actually, you should have told her she'll probably be unemployed quite soon, so she'd better brush up on her customer care.

Luckily, I haven't had anyone that stupid - it's quite funny when people ask when the baby is due, and I reply 'Last week' - I can almost see them take a step back!

Grosvenor sounds good, will definitely be up for that - sooner rather than later I hope.

Yes, am also getting a bit sick of people asking if I've had the baby yet. One 'friend' - luckily not in this country! - has been emailing at least twice a week since the beginning of June. I've ignored her for the past fortnight. Feel a bit bad, but I reckon we're entitled to be grumpy now!

Monster must have dropped some more because I am having a very strange pressure sensation downstairs, and wanting to pee every time I stand up. Must be a good sign.

Essie, interesting about your great aunt. One of my friends claims her mother was pregnant with her for 11 months too! I can't quite believe it - this was in the 70s after all - but apparently she was told she was due in July, and then August, and my friend wasn't born til October. And her mother is a nurse!

Laura - I hated people commenting on my size as well. Even tdoay someone said something like "well, you were big, I mean BIIIIG" . I never had the nerve to respond with comments about their bums which is what I really wanted to do!

Essie - I'm having a big love-in with the NHS too. Same midwife throughout the pregnancy, regular appointments with short waiting times. Quick hospital appointment when requested by midwife ( for post-dates scan), delivery by midwives I knew, daily post-delivery visits by midwives I knew for 1st week, then less frequent. I'm so impressed with it. I even got a call from my consultant congratulating me on DD2's birth.

I've thought a few times when speaking to my midwife that she either doesn't think I will have any more children, or doesn't think I should. I'm not sure which and maybe I'm reading too much into it but she's made a few references to getting my tummy fixed, for example (in a nice way) which I assume is only appropriate for when I know I've completed my family. I never thought I'd have more than 4 but it's a big thing to get my head round, that my child-bearing days may be over. I don't really know how to deal with it. Not something I'm losing sleep about or anything but I need to think about it. All at sea about contraception as well (although like everyone else here, a moot point right now!).

Anyway, stream of consciousness - will stop

Rolf, my tummy muscles have separated really badly and my mw told me that I should make sure this has been resolved before I get pregnant again. Actually I am not planning to ever get pregnant again but maybe the same is true for you too?

I also love the NHS. It has its faults (but what doesn't) but it's a wondrous beast. I think that we're very lucky in the UK to have a free National Health Service.

How are the rest of the weekend induction crew feeling? I'm so very glad to be allowed to go home between pessaries if need be... I hope that you folks who wont be dont have to wait too long before things get going.

Laura I was going to add a face at the M&S assistant, but frankly, nothing surprises me about the way people speak to pregnant women anymore. Its like you cease to exist as a person. The woman at the checkout at Sainsbury's last week was asking me really personal questions about my birth plan and as much as I love all my friends dearly I cant remember the last time I got a 'hey, hope you're feeling ok, can I do anything for you' text in among the 'had the baby yet?' texts. I know people are excited, but what about the nearly 42 week pregnant mum to be?!?!?

Hi Sybil. Mine have separated too. I've had problems since I had my 1st child (he's now 8) and it's got worse with each pregnancy. I guess it's just one of those genetic weaknesses and is obviously a small price to pay for my lovely children . I'm not sure how bad the separation is but I'm going to get the muscles as strong as I can on my own before I see my doctor about it (pilates-type exercises). No-one ever said anything about sorting it out before getting pregnant again - it's interesting your mw said that.
How are you finding like with a crowd of children? I've found a school-run easier than I thought and a lovely friend is doing a few school-runs for me, which is a huge help.

Seperated stomach muscles? They didnt tell me that at the ante-natal classes!!!!

Hello all, it's amazing how little you can read and post with anhours sleep per night and a teeny baby so a big collective hi to all and a good luck to all those yet to hatch x

I am also co sleeping but only because Luke flails his arms and legs around so much - he can only settle with human contact so instead of me getting up I juts cuddle him bck to sleep. Have been advised by a night nanny to get a Grobag swaddle blanket which I have ordered. My normal swaddle gets unswaddles within 30 mins as Luke is so blimmin strong!

Definitely getting a ight nanny 2 nights a week for a month. They will help me to get into a routine as well so will be worth the money. Took Luke t the docs today about his mucus and the Dr was more concerned with how awful i looked! Guess it's the right decison then!

Got Luke weighed and he's 10lb 5oz so he's put on 1lb 9 oz - he's mahooosive! He's so different to when he was born! He's got a real personalit now.