Due Sept '08: Bring on the babies!

[LittleConnie]

Well that was cutting it a bit fine...

mustsleep - hope you can sort summat out as im so hoping for a natural so i can be back to normal as quick as i can as if i have an elective then im knackered! as dp will able to have 2 weeks paternity leave but hoping that he wont be looking after dd the whole time whilst im in hospital or otherwise i wont have much help once im home. DD is back to her preschool on 8th Sept.

Have I missed something? Is sunshine in labour?

no dont think sunshine in labour as she got a elective cs for 26th but had got high BP atm

Of course, baby brain getting over excited then.

...

ive got no brain as i find that ill read the posts on here and then forget all about it 5 mins later .

Starlight I like your request for weaker contractions! I'd have said the same after dd1. It was like having a bomb go off in my body each time. And I hadn't been near any raspberry leaves!

I finally made it back on my bike to work this morning, after a week off. Bit worried now that the wind has got rather strong although in theory it's a south westerly so I should be propelled home in double quick time!

give it about a week and a half and this thread will be full

sassafrass I hope it's all going OK - maybe you are already cuddling your lo! GOOD LUCK!!

mamamufin is your breastfeeding cafe in/near York? I've been looking for one to go to but hadn't found one so would definitely be interested if it's near me

Hi. I am just checking for news from the next mum, Sassafrass.

Hello all...crikey its been busy on here

Firstly, Lolly so very sorry for your frient...how devastating. Howver, I was in hospital for monitoring AGAIN yesterday and they did a swab for GBS so some NHS Trusts obviously do it. They think I may have a water infection which is causing my pain, certainly not dilating yet.

Mama Can I recommend using a TENS machine? I used one for ds birth and it really helped and has no nasty side effects for you or baby. (I have rented one via mamatens at mothercare)

Jearund I would go for an elcetive wsection if I were in your shoes, too.

Starlight SO please dyour visit at the birthing centre went well! Interesting comments about second labours stop/starting...makes me feel a bit better!

Sass Any news????????? Am sooo excited!

Well, after 4 hours in the maternity assessment suite yesterday I broke me toe this morning! NOT going back to hospital..have strapped it and am going to ignore it

Hope everyone is well x

TMI ALERT
Oh, quick question...does anyone know if my cervix being "firm and long" as stated by the consultant yesterday is a good thing??????

Not sure about how the cervix should be at this stage bec. .
At least the tens will give me something to twiddle with/take my mind off things.
When do u think we will hear from sass? the wait.................
Hi Kasha Lovely to hear from you. The breastfeeding cafe I am invoved in is in Selby methodist church by morrisons, so could be too far for you to travel. However, in case it isnt Its on a tuesday morning 10.00am-11-30 am. It was set up by sure start.
Just had new pregnant friend I met at aqua natal round for ice cream and raspberry leaf tea . Its lovely meeting new people in my village. Take care girls x

Just got back from the London meetup - many thanks to eandz and people for organising!

Time for another nap now - seem to need one every time I go out, so what with an NCT class meetup yesterday and a Backs+Babies class tomorrow, this is making being pregnant practically a full time job!

potxola - I'm a bit confused by your CS plan - you say you want to hold your baby ASAP, but way before that it says 'please show us baby before taking her to be cleaned', cut cord and put on table, wrap her in blanket etc - so does that mean that all those steps always need to be done before holding a cs-delivered baby?

Or should the bit about holding her ASAP be
moved upwards in case they only read the plan point by point?

And what is the gel they might apply to the eyes??

Also can people confirm that raspberry leaf tea really doesn't make labour happen earlier, before I go brew some? While I'm getting a bit fed up of being pregnant I'd really like Squirmy to not turn up before September - I think I need to bank some sleep first apart from anything else!

thanks everyone feel a bit better about it now

i was sure i'd read somewhere that rasperry tea can make you go into labour but imust be wrong - will avoid it if it makes the bh's stronger though anyway they are hurrendous already and i'm having so many so often that my uterus is well practised by now!!

i would not be bothered if i went into labour right this second tbh i am shattered from being woken in the night anyway and then the kids wake up at 6am!!

stillno homebirth notes in post which is odd if they were posted on friday but i got my babie's red book fr the first checks etc!!

can i ask when you have a home birth when does your child get checked out by the doc, in the hospital they have to be checked beofe you can leave so would i have to take him to the docs or would the doc be likely to come out? it's the test they do with the hing where they pretend to drop the baby to make sure that they stick their arms out, and they see if the baby "walks" etc

How exciting for Sass. Hope all goes well.
While I still have a brain, can I ask my 2000th qn? Any good tips for finding a loo when I'm out with new baby? Been peeking at mum and baby rooms in shops, services etc and nearly all have no loo. If I have a pram, how do I go to loo when out?
My sister said to use disabled loo, as pram will fit but many now use radar scheme, so need a key. Any ideas apart from going to loo with door open so I can see pram!

imoscarsmum in the white rose centre near us they have a larger cubicle at the end of all the cubicles that will fit your buggy in with you

otherwise i think you wold have to use the disabled loos if you were on your own - you would just have to ask for a key

or you could get an extendable dog lead attach to buggy and hold under door

is sass actually in labour then am soooo

notcitrus With a C-section they usually cut the cord and leave a longer bit(the partnet once everything is fine can cut it on the table),lift the baby very quickly, take it to the table,clean her a bit, check if the baby is ok and then wrap her in a blanket and pass her to the mw or partner because the mother can't really moved the arms very much because of the drip.
You can ask to see the baby before they take it to the table, but the baby won't be delivered to your chest like in a normal birth. i would love that, but it is not possible.
I spoke to the doctor today and he told me that the skin to skin contact won't be happening till they finish the surgery and they take me to recovery. I would be able to touch the baby, but she won't be on top of my chest like I wanted. They are very pro BF in my hospital and they have assured me that the skin to skin contact will happen very soon after.
That is why the bit about taking your own blanket is important. Apparently if the mother sleeps with it several nights before, the baby will smell the scent when they wrap her in it and that will make her feel near mummy.It is not the same as skin to skin contact, but it is something
The gel for the eyes is a sort of disinfectant they use in some hospitals, they used it with my ds 4 yrs ago. It leaves the babies with blurry vision for a while, so they can't see your face, even if you hold them very very close. Having said that, I have found out they don't apply it in my hospital.

i didnlt think that babies could really see anything but blurry images until they were around six weeks anyway, which is around the same time they start smiling

this is the first ive heard about the gel for the babies eyes too...im just curious if they do it in my hosp too.

Well atm the braxton hicks is coming on so strong as im in pain esp when walking as feel so achy down the bottom of my belly and feels like ive got a nerve stitch from top to bottom (ive had it for a while now so i have mentioned it before)....ouch! also my fanjo is soooooo achy too!.

my hospi doesn;t do the eye gel thing unless they have just started doing it in the last 3 years

how do u find out?? ring the hosp?

mustsleep you are right, they can't focus on things very well, but it has been proved that they can see a bit when the thing they are looking at is very very close, like your breasts or your face. It is very beneficial to them to hold them very very close to your face when they are born and talk to them.They then associate you with the voice. It is part of the attachment parenting bonding .

becaroo I think that the cervix being long and firm means it is not ready to go just yet. From what I understand the cervix starts off like a long tube then flattens out as the hole in the middle stretches, like a swimming ring . All something to do with being effaced and dilated apparently.

I think I am going to suffocate before this baby arrives as I can't breathe in bed anymore. Sitting up just isn't comfy either. I really really hope I can have this baby in 2 weeks. She is very wriggly, my tummy has corners when she moves about.