Due Sept 08: The one where we pack our bags and write our birth plan.

[mamamufin]

I thought I would be brave

Notcitrus I'll be at St Georges - staff I have come across all seem decent but not had a look round labour ward/birth centre yet... I guess it's not gonna be the ritz but as long as the staff are qualified I don't mind!

Your GP sounds fab.

Hello, hello, hello all! Bloody work, work and all work! Been sooo busy, not had chance to post anything but glad to see everyone is getting nearer and nearer due dates!
Not had time to catch up on posts (any more births?!!) but happy to say I'm experiencing similar cravings/indigestion/concerns/laughter/unpreparedness as everyone else.
In awe at starlight's birth plan.
Went to antenatal class last night - was quite good, though we watched 2 births. What put me off the most was the noise! She was a-moaning and a-groaning like anything.

Had painful BH contractions least night - they even woke me up - but gone away today. At 3am I did think labour was starting waaay too early.........

Well done on ur birth plan starlight, I dont know where to even start having had 2 csections previously. Havent been offered any antenatal classes and have 8 weeks left so prob too late now. How do u get to visit ur labour ward do u have to ring and ask or do they offer u.

DD2 has chicken pox bless her and they are every where, what a great start to summer hols.

PITUFINA - I notice you are from south wales are you near cardiff as well are you going to the HEATH or Royal Glamorgan.

Hi! Do I need to do a birth plan- i wasn't going to bother and just go ith the flow, although I will let them know I might want painkillers. Is it okay to keep things this simple?!

starlight fab birth plan. LOL at not allowing Bounty woman any where near you .

Loved the birth plan star you have really thought things thru.
I am now a mousy blond and love it I think!

hello, wonder if I could hop on this thread? I'm due 6.10.08 but slinkiemalinkie suggested I say hello as you are having a london meet up which I'd love to join. Please be gentle with me, I'm having a bit of a rubbish evening!

Ooh I am loving the birth plans, much better than anything I could come up. So far my plans are hospital water birth but may be hampered by baby still not moving from breach (sp) position. I'm now having to have another scan in a couple of weeks to see if little one has decided to play.

Happy writing birth plans!
Kx

Notcitrus - is there a reason why everyone's avoiding Kings? (Still thinking about which hospital to choose)

Starlight - wow, that birthplan is impressively thought out, it's great you're so clear about what you want, and the last thing you want when giving birth is debate and discussion, so it's good to make it clear in advance. The Bounty woman bit is funny though - what do you have against her?? (apart from the disappointing contents of the bag, think I only used a spoon and some fabric conditioner or something out of mine. And why Horlicks in every bag???)

I haven't prepared either. Which is silly as I should have learned from last time with dd coming early and no bag packed so ending up with partner and sister having to shop for various things like big pants, nursing bras, nighties (which I never used) etc as I was stuck in hospital for 2.5 days between waters breaking and going into labour. Then I had to get more things when I left hospital without her - all very disorganised, just because I had some strangely fixed idea she's be late.

Meglet - those muffins sound good, is the coke for flavour or moisture or what?

surely - I looked round George's delivery suite+MLU a couple months ago, as I got my first NCT mag and got terrified (it was someone writing about their homebirth which they'd wanted after a 'terrible' hospital which was 'filthy'). So MrNC told me to go on one of the tours which they do twice a week.

As I posted a while back, I was pleasantly surprised by the delivery suite and very impressed with the MLU. Helped that both were nearly empty and obviously they clean them before the tours, but really not bad.

splish - Kings is apparently as good as Georges or Tommies, just hard to get to by public transport for us in Streatham! My GP recommended Georges or Kings, but the receptionist pointed out that I would find the bus from my house direct to Georges very handy! For some reason there's an antenatal clinic near me that only serves Tommies, which is up to an hour's drive away!

Rather useful antenatal class dealing with what a caesarian is like (hint: the metal frames on the lights distort the reflection of what is happening, so don't look at the lights or don't panic at what you see!), massage, possible breathing techniques (keep it simple!), and things to try with a crying baby.

Working on my birth plan, but I think all I really care about is "Do not leave me alone/just with hospital staff" and "Get my explicit consent for everything - in a genuine emergency talk to MrNC or one of his backups".
Would really like waterbirth if available, failing that other MLU room, but may change mind and demand an epidural if I get exhausted/too panicky. Please leave us to get on with it as much as possible, with only vital checks and provide reassurance that things are going OK and I'm doing really well.
Once baby born, put on my chest ASAP and no wandering off with him.

I imagine only the first point will be contentious, but I'm pretty sure they won't really try throwing MrNC/proxies out at night. It's not like security won't be much more needed down in A&E...

pidge thanks for that on Rhd. I had thought it through carefully, am like you - 3rd child, planning it to be last one.
Then I got paralysed with worrying about what ifs and decided to do the 28 week jab in the end. still not sure about 34 weekone

mamamuffin I think some hospitals are moving towards one bigger jab to cover you for the whole period rather than 2 smaller jabs

splish thanks very much for that input - more food for thought! I will probably change but it is a bit of a trek.

star great birth plans I will deffo nick some ideas

Hello again kookie, here is the London meet thread which you may want to keep an eye on, I'm sure everyone would love to have you join - more the merrier!

Morning all
Im up early totady as the ariel guy is here rigging up sky upstairs. Ds is chuffed he will be able to watch the disney channel in bed. (anything for an easy life!) Another job to tick off the list.
I didnt feel comfortable choosing blinds with a man in his 50s yesterday. He had no idea, I would much rather a women was the rep . Just need them for the living room as the sun is so bright I am having trouble seeing my laptop screen!
Oh and Ive won a baby bjorn 1-2-3 off ebay.
Mmmmm yes the cola muffins sound delicious. Any chance of a receipe? .
Do you know what? I actually like the bounty women visiting me, any chance to show off baby and to chit chat! Though I wont have any photos done with them! Have a good day girls x

Notcitrus - because the aneasthetist thinks I should go to another hospital, I'm trying to decide, but none of them are that convenient - St Georges is 2 buses away, takes up to 1.5hrs by bus. Kings is a bus, but again, could be 45mins-1hr, Tommies a bus and train..... dilemmas! Just worried how long it could take in labour as well. Good to hear you've heard good things about them all though

wow starlight that's some serious birthplan, very impressed at how you've thought of every detail.
I can't see mine being as thorough as this is my first time and I want to keep an open mind. I'm quite sure that for baby number 2 I'll have a much clearer idea of what I want.

Am working from home today, thank god. Felt a bit queasy at work yesterday and then had a nightmare journey home where I had to wait half an hour at both bus stops to get on a bus that had enough room for a pregnant lady. Nearly burst into tears from feeling so abandoned.

To all those worried about not having prepared, I'm sure you can get everything you need in one shopping spree. Plenty more weekends left for that.
We've still got a long list of jobs round the house that need doing, but I've started ignoring things that don't seem as much of a priority anymore.

becaroo sunday lunch for 6! you trooper! I refuse to host anything else between now and christmas as we need every weekend to prepare (mentally and physically). However, if anyone wants to invite me over then I'm there with bells on.

imoscarsmum another BH sufferer! I get cramps after every visit to the toilet, I think it's connected to me using my pelvic floors. Last night, after pee number 2 the cramp was so bad I had to practise my yoga breathing I've learnt for dealing with contractions.

I'm actually really worried that if these are just practise contractions that 'breathing' is not going to get me through those first few hours of the real thing (where apparently some women go and have kip). I'm going to be screaming for an epidural within minutes. How unearth mother of me. I'm already disappointed with myself. Next thing you know I'll be weaning my 6 month old baby on pot noodles and mars bars.

My (anti-children, female) boss and one of my colleagues are currently sat opposite me slagging off a woman they bumped into at an industry do who is, shocker, having her third child. Comments have ranged from, "I can't believe she's pregnant again" through, "Well, she doesn't have a career" all the way to, "why would anyone want three?" Am quietly fuming, even though I'm only on my first!

Dobbins if you're happy to go with the flow, it'll probably be a lot more relaxing to write no/very vague birth plan, as you don't want to feel you have to stick with it if you're prepared to be flexible at the time.

Kookiegoddess I've just posted a couple of dates on the London meetup thread if you want to check it out...

Digitalgirl I'm sure you'll be fine with real contractions, and if you're not... well, you're not. You get some drugs and you'll still be a wonderful mum! I'm just about to order some hypnobirthing CDs, as I'm figuring its one of those things that can't hurt and might help.

digitalgirl glad I'm not alone - all my books say 'BH should be uncomfortable but not painful' - my arse! I too had to use breathing techniques to get through them, like a really crampy period pain.

It just makes things ever so slightly real [waddles runs around screaming in panic]. For the real ones, I am thinking that I won't mind sticking my bum in the air and mooing like a cow to try to get through it. I feel slightly daft doing that with BH ones.
I'm also up for as much pain relief as I can get. I'm sure to be a terrible mum - I've even decided that, shock, I may use baby wipes from day 1 instead of saintly cotton wool and water and will probably bath him in the sink at first...... how naughty am I??!!!

Oooh hopefully, I'm with you on the CD - ordering mine next week. As you say, worst case it'll do nothing but worth a try. I'm also renting a TENs machine for 6 weeks.

Btw, anyone ordering a home Strep B test for 37 weeks? My NHS won't do one for me.

oh that's something i will miss with a homebirth the hospital photo ladyi have two horrid photos of ds and dd hours after borth looking all mottled and squashed truly awful photos (whispers) although i just scanned dds and sent the photo back imorscarsmum i used baby wipes as soon as we left the hospital both times i'm sorry but wet cotton wool does not remove baby poo!! so will be doing the same this time - noether of mine have ever really had a sore bottom apart from when they have been poorlyjust remembered must get a stack of flannels to through on babie's willy when he does an impression of a fountain

I used babywipes while I was still in the hosp last time and plan to again as long as the babies skin looks ok. Ds has never had skin probs and very rarely had nappy rash and 1 or 2 days of sudacrem always clears it up if he does.

mustsleep lol at the fountains, I'd forgotten about that, I remember being amazed at watching how high and far the pee could go.

I only have 1 more double lesson to teach now (and then 1 non-teaching day on Wed)and I'm so glad, I'm feeling so tired this week that it's been hard. Went home early yest and slept from 3.30-5.00 and then still had no probs getting to sleep when I went to bed. Still woke up loads but thats normal.

Caved yest too and took some drugs- the coldand flu ones that have decongestant and paracetemol in them. I know I'm not meant to but they really helped. I only took one lot too. Haven't taken any yet today but am going out to my end of term deptartment do tonight so might take some before I go to get me through the evening. Didn't know I wasn't meant to take strepsils either and have had some of them too.

Also I had 2 alcoholic drinks at the weekend which as some of you have been informed makes me a very bad person! Can't drink wine as it makes my reflux really bad but I had a gin and tonic in the business lounge on the way to Scotland and another one at the wedding (there was no alcohol served at the meal so no champagne for speeches otherwise I'd have had a little of that too).

So alcohol, drugs, babywipes, no birth plan, disposable nappies and I'm sure lots of other's I've forgotten. I am officially a terrible mother Oh and the root of all evil, ds has been known to drink fruitshoots occasionally I should be locked up!

hiya all!!!

my mind had gone blank and yes i wake up about 20 times a night just to get comfy..also its so clammy in our bedroom even with the windows wide open. im so shattered today.

Is anyone not sleeping well since you got pg? as ive only had about a week decent night sleep!!

ive managed to start writing bits and pieces that i need to get and also i dont have a birth plan atm but hoping for a natural one and "Go with the Flow" plan too...like last time.

i need a list for the hospital bag...but i cant think!!!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!

Oh and for anyone who wants to slather Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion on their bumps, Boots have a buy 1 get 1 half price promotion on at the moment, and 1 kind is already half price, so I got 2 bottles for about £3.50 yesterday

hi

biglips i am actually looking foward to having the baby so i can get some sleep - ok i mahy get woken for feeds but at least the sleep i do get will be comfy

i have yet to pack a hospital bag, think i will leave it another couple of weeks but i have a feeling i will be early

had loads of people stop me today and yesterday saying that i couldn;t have long left 8 weeks

have just put the cot togther and discovered that it wil not fit in our bedroom now so when we split them there is no chance of it fitting. DH is supposed to be splitting the bedrooms from two large bedrooms into three smller ones i have just inforned him he has six weeks in which to start and finish this!! nowif it was me doing it it woud be done already but then i am impatient!

My sleep's not been tooooo badly interrupted, but I literally never used to wake up in the night, and I probably now wake up once or twice. Luckily my bladder is still being well behaved, so all I have to do is extract pregnancy pillow from my mouth (no idea how this happens, think I chew on it while asleep. Am mad), roll back over and go back to sleep.

I am faintly envious of those of you actually getting BHs. I am slightly concerned that having none at all means labour will come as a horrendous shock to me and I will be entirely unprepared.

I probably have about half the things for my hospital bag, but I am not busting a gut to get the rest, just doing it as and when. need to order some arnica and a few other bits and bobs when I get paid next week.

Hi all - not been around for a while as been off ill again. DS is going through a not sleeping phase (!) and the tiredness is making everything ache so much so I've had a couple of days off. I actually spoke to the Obstetrician yesterday about how achey I've been feeling and he said that's perfectly normal with second pregnancies.

Obstetrician was great. We booked CS for 26th August and I've got the consent form to read and sign. It's really very very scary! I won't go into details but getting nervous now.

Also talked to the Obs about the reflux I'm getting. A few times lately I've been woken in the middle of the night by a huge surge of acid, followed by dreadful nausea that's made me throw up. Obs advised that it's best to take preventative measures so to take Gaviscon after every meal and again just before I go to bed. He also mentioned that it's normal for appetite to drop off towards end, as stomach is so squashed.

Have a couple of tips from NCT teacher (who is really great):

Cramps - potassium and calcium are the best preventatives. I haven't had any cramping which is probably because DP makes me a banana milkshake every morning.

Low iron - recommended Floradix tablets, which are a natural remedy from health food shops. Not sure if my iron levels are low or not but have gotten some on the basis that I am exhausted in the hope it helps.

Re. BHs - whoever said they hurt was spot on for me. Mone take my breath away. Again obs said this is normal in second pregnancy. He checked me over and said although baby is head down (back to left) it's not engaged yet so sam definitely having BHs not labour pains!

Quick question - Arnica, when should I start taking it?

Anyway, starting to feel a little more like we're getting there. Have updated hospital bag list and contact list, put up Amby cot and put new car seat in car. We've scheduled the decorater, bought the paper (how expensive) and loads of paint samples. Most of the clothes have come down from the loft and been washed. Still to do is buy furniture, forumla, sort out clothes (mine and DP), put up pics and other decs and loads of other stuff. DP is taking a week off in August to work through jobs.

H's away now for 10 days so am by my lonesome (FIL is coming on Sunday for a few days which will be nice). Am dreading the weekend alone with a none sleeping DS!