Due March 2005 Part 3

[Leogaela]

..... the story so far - except that Misdee is going to jump the queue!

Preggiemum-22nd Feb-girl
girly-1st march-girl
pidge-2nd-surprise
shalaa-3rd-surprise
misdee-4th-girl
oceanmama-5th-girl
thedame71-7th-girl
popsycal-7th-surprise
jambot-10th-girl
leogaela-12th-surprise
munchkinsusie-13th-surprise
Kolakube 15th-girl
Cristina7-16th-girl
zoec-18th-girl
Babster-19th-Boy
sweeney-20th-surprise
bonym-25th-Girl

BAck from midwife - bp hovering on the right side of normal......so I am still here for a bit yet!

Thanks to you all for your warm welcome - and brilliant news re. Misdee. Although I don't 'know' you all, it's always lovely to hear news of a healthy babe!

I am in awe of all of you have the enery / inclination to exercise during pregnancy. I've been a complete blob this time around, and feel that runnign around after an active 3 year old has been more than enough! Went to a soft play area yesterday and got more than a few questioning looks as I clambered up stairs, through tunnels and over various frames. But boy, did I suffer last night!! I also suffer from severe 'hobble' syndrome when I wake up. It's mainly my hips and pubic bone which feel as though they've given up the ghost.

Luckily, I have a very very lovely mum who has ds for me a day a week, which gives me the chance for some R&R. Enjoying my rest today and am planning on hitting the sack in the very near future for a couple of hours kip! DS comes in with us at night - settles okay in his own bed, but we always get a noctural visitor in the early hours - which I love (he's so snuggly!) but the lack of room in our standard double bed doesn't help much on the comfort front!!! Is anyone else still co-sleeping with an older sibling and wondering how on earth things are going to work once new baby arrives?!

Just back from seeing the midwife who confidently made my next appointment for 2 weeks time, when I will be a week overdue. So maybe she agrees that this baby is not coming out any time soon! Babe is back to front (hurrah) and 4/5 engaged so we're heading in the right direction at least.

KerryJ - I took my 2.5 year old to the soft play and was completely incapable of retrieving her from various climbing equipment and ball pits! Had to get my friend to run around after her instead.

Popsycal - good to hear the bp is still ok.

BoneyM - right you have put me to shame with the aquanatal class - I MUST get myself swimming in the next few days! Instead this afternoon I baked a batch of wicked choc chip cookies (see Recipes section!).

Tomorrow I head off for a day's shopping on Oxford St - buying myself some nursing bras, and dd some new clothes, plus meeting a friend for lunch and much chatting which will be lovely.

Pidge! Don't let Bonym make you feel bad!!!! i could happily sit in a hot spa somewhere, but the thought of going to a swimming pool and worrying about getting kicked by people, dirty changing rooms with wet floors and not being able to dry me feet properly, coming out with half wet hair... naaaa! And I'm not lazy (well, not much, usually..) - this time last year I was doing winter triathlon training and was in the pool at least 3 times a week and would have liked to go more!

Hi everyone - I have now seen the chiropractor who found a tight joint between two of my vertebra and did a manipulation. She says that the idea is that now that that is working better the baby should find its way into the pelvis. We will have to see what happens - I can't decide very well how engaged my own baby's head is - midwife on Friday to find out if it has worked. Leogaela - has your baby's head engaged yet?

looking after toddlers as well as being in the last weeks of pregnancy - I don't know how you do it. Probably will find out in a couple of years time. I gave up on exercise very early with the morning sickness so I also admire all you aquanatal mums. Just about get around to short walks for the dog most days but that is about it.

Hello all and welcome to the newcomers. I had my weekly hospital appt toady and I have a date: 1 March. This is next Tuesday, in one week's time I'll get to meet the baby! I phoned DH to tell him and he was in shock. I hadn't known if the Consultant would agree with a c/s and the MW had indicated previously that they'd do it at 39 weeks, but the Consultant was keen for 38 weeks, so next week it is.

Kerry - our DS (5) still joins us in bed every night. We have a king size bed but are quite tall ourselves and he wriggles a lot. There's not a lot of space left. I get quite squashed but I kept thinking he might feel a bit ignored after the new baby arrives so have postponed getting him to sleep in his own bed all night long. Now there's only one week left it hardly seems to be worth trying to do anything about it. We'll deal with things as they come, I might end up sleeping in the children's bedroom so I can be in bed with them both. I don't know, not really a big worry.

Off now to try and find the photo of Misdee's new daughter.

Had the Doc phone me today to let me know my results are back and I am indeed immune to chicken pox. Good stuff!

Still getting BH, still panicking about dd2 birthday, but have managed to kip on sofa for an hour this afternoon and eat a bar of dairy milk while sat here!

Any tips for starting things up early? Have heard the usual - curry, sex, pineapple, when do you start taking rasp leaf tea? DD1 was 3wks early but DD2 was only a day early - so worried this one will be late!!

Hope you are all well.

3mummy - curry worked for me with dd - hads one early evening day before she was due and went into labour at 9pm that evening!
Christina - exciting news!
Pidge and Leogaela - I think you have the wrong impression of me! . I usually do no exercise and for the last week have been sat around lazy as anything and scoffing chocolate! Aquanatal is the only exercise I get, and tbh I do it as much for the social side (we all go for a drink, bar of chocolate and a good natter in the cafe afterwards!). So no-one is to feel bad ok? . Anyway, Pidge , I think you must be the fittest of all of us as a result of all your cycling!

3mummy - Have you tried nipple stimulation for bringing on labour? - supposed to do it for three hours a day for any effect though. I have been taking raspberry leaf capsules since 32 weeks and upped the dose at 36 weeks but I had the idea that it makes labour faster rather than making it start. Have copied and pasted someone else's methods on below as it sounds pretty comprehensive:

"am currently taking maximum reccommended dose of raspberry leaf extract (2x400mg 3 times a day) also 4x evening primrose oil 500mg per day (and am going to try popping in a capsule near my cervix when i go to bed tonight, have been using my electric breast pump for about 1/2 hour a day, hot water bottle on one breast whilst massaging the other nipple, (i only stopped bf 5 months ago so my nipples are still quite tough, but using a breast pump may make you sore if your not careful, which would not be a good start to bf if your little one does put in an appearance)
and am waiting for weather to clear up so can go for some long walks, am also trying to keep upright as much as possible to keep the head pressing on my cervix,and having sex every day!!! don't think i really sound too desperate!!!! oh and am booked for acupuncture on tuesday to help ripen cervix or/and induce labour naturally, aparantly that has about an 8/10 sucess rate so at least they may be able to perform a sweep at my next app with consultant on weds"

Good luck!

Hi all, it looks as if my waters have broken! I am not getting any painful contractions though. Hmmmm! Am going to call the hospital in a bit. Will let you all know ASAP! In the meantime - good luck everyone!

Leogaela - how exciting! All these March babies just can't wait to be born! Looking forward to hearing how you get on!

Leogaela - oh my goodness - these March babies are just so impatient to get out and see the world aren't they. I'm so excited! Keep us posted.

Some of you better keep those babies in place until March. I naively thought with my 2nd March due date I might be one of the early birds ... but no such danger!

BoneyM - sadly since retiring my bike to the cellar 2 weeks ago I have been a couch potato extraordinaire. Not to mention a chocolate eating fiend. What a mistake it was baking choc chip cookies yesterday - they are just calling out for me to scoff them in one sitting! Might try a gentle swim tomorrow though ....

Off to Oxford St now, which will be more than enough exercise for the day. Am reckoning I'll need a tea-break at least once an hour to get me through the day!

gosh leogaela. all the best. i suppose it might be a day or 2 yet. or maybe not !!!!
is it really true that babies come out????? i'm still not entirely sure.
i hit selfridges 2 days in arow and it is indeed enough exercise for several days. though i found hot chocolate more of a restorative!
also want to assert my hip pain agony. pillows and all sorts and osteo and phisio, no help whatsoever. in fact physio made it worse.
ok quick rundown of hospital bag please ladies. what you all putting in it?

oohh good luck leogala!!
i thought my waters had just broke 30 mins ago in asda.......unfortunately not

Confession - I ate 5 choc chip muffins in one go yesterday!! God knows why - had indigestion from hell afterwards.
My bags are packed. One little one for the labouring business. Special navy t-shirt with flap over boobs for easy access for baby. Also colour is supposed to hide all the gore. Flannel. Scented candle. Massage oil. Stretchy bra and funny elastic maternity knickers for afterwards. Fruit juice. No food - my gynae doesn't want me eating - only fluids.
Big bag has two nighties with buttons down front. All my toiletries, nappies, breast pads, sanitary pads, although hospital provides, two outfits for baby leaving hospital, blanket. Must have left some things out, but that's about it.

Going for hospital visit tonight. Seeing gynae tomorrow. Worried about very sore vein in my knee. Can't kneel on it which is a problem as it is one of my favourite positions for birthing. So worried that dd will come early as our building renovations are still in full swing! About 30 builders here today, using every power tool known to man. Somehow still managing an afternoon nap through all of this. Wake up with such swollen joints in my hands after every sleep - can't even bend my fingers.

Good luck to Leogala - the other non UK resident. All our babies seem determined to be Feb threaders!

oooh - very exciting news Leogaela - good luck.

I packed my labour bag by putting "labour bag" into google and copying and pasting all the lists that came up. Things that I might have forgotton if I hadn't were flannels, a mirror - not sure if my eyes will be open at the crucial stage though - and a hand held fan.

Leogaela - good luck, looking forward to hearing from you.

I have my hospital bags (which I keep redoing) and have also included toothbrush & toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo and some makeup. I also have two pairs of loose trousers, some tops, dressing gown, socks (instead of slippers which I don't have, although I saw a nice pair yesterday and might get some for this occasion only) and should start building the small change collection for the phone in case I can't use mobile or can't charge it. I'm expecting to stay in hospital a bit longer for the c/s.

Sweeney - I was far too cowardly to tackle Selfridges! But I did manage M&S, John Lewis, H&M and goodness knows how many others. And also discovered the restorative powers of a hot chocolate in the M&S cafe, plus an extra long lunch with my friend.

Leogaela ... are you still there ... ???!!!

Haven't packed a hospital bag yet - though I need to even with hopes for a homebirth. Another job for my list.

Popsycal - LOL at waters not breaking in Asda - I've had a few of those moments!!

Jambot - glad to hear of your chocolate muffin extravaganza - it's taking all my will power not to just scoff all the choc chip cookies I baked yesterday.

Oh - Pidge, I haven't even thought of packing a hospital bag. Maybe it is tempting fate not to - I guess there is no guarantee that I will get the home birth I'm planning. Damn! And I thought I was so organised . Something else to add to the list of things to do - I am feeling so lazy recently - ashamed to admit that I haven't even loaded the breakfast things in the dishwasher yet . After dropping dd at school, I came home, lay on the bed reading until 10.45am, thought I should then do something so drove to the JoJo Maman Bebe Warehouse shop (which was a right pain to find!) - bought a couple of things, came home, drove to meet dh for lunch, came home, spent ages on MN (it's such an addiction...) then went to pick dd up from school. I'm now back on the computer while dd does her spellings. Oh well, at least I have the world's best excuse for being a lazy so-and-so

Hope you are in labour Leogaela!! Wishing you non painful but very effective contractions :0!!

Bit late logging on today, had a nice lazy day eating, I know I am going to regret all the garlic cheese I had at lunchtime though.

Hospital bag is kinda packed; breast pads, nipple cream, arcica cream, disposable pants (lovely!), nightshirts, wooly socks and nappies. I still haven't washed all the baby clothes, I am just feeling soooooo lazy!!

I am still getting BH but pretty mild now, am also getting lots of pelvic pain but having my weekly visit to Osteopath on Friday and he works wonders!

DH who works away is due home tomorrow evening so I am looking forward to trying to start things off with a curry and an evening with my gorgeous man(IYKWIM )

boneyM - I hadn't thought of the hospital bag either until a friend pointed out it might be a good plan, just in case. Am going to keep it simple though - nappies and babygro, some sanitary towels and some PJs. Anything else dp can bring along later as we're only a 5 minute drive away. I figure I'd only transfer in an emergency, so won't need anything for the labour itself.

Dd keeps peering into our birth pool and saying "this is the pool for the baby - and I'm going to be in there too!". I think she has visions of swimming lengths in her floaty swimsuit, whilst I pop out a baby. Ho ho ho. Have had to tell her she's not going anywhere near the pool whilst I'm in it.

Pidge - LOL at your dd !

Pidge - LOL at your dd !

See how funny i thought it was? I posted twice