Due Dec 08 - Braxton hicks, baby kicks and leaking nips!

[Veggiemummy]

that was Disenchanted's idea for a great title not mine

JumpJ - my physio really clarified the pelvic floor exercies for me. She said there is no point in doing them with tired muscles as you will not be able to clench them enough. She suggested that each day I do:

Quick release clenches - pull it up as far as you can, let it go, breath, pull it up... She suggested doing this 10 times in a row, 5 times a day.

Clench and hold - pull it up as far as you can. Hold for X seconds, let go, relax for x seconds, hold... The value of x depends on the condition of your muscle. Experiment and see how long you can keep a strong clench for, if you hold too long you can't feel the let down, you need to hold only for as long as your full muscle strength continues and then fully relax. For weak old me its 4 seconds, next week I am to try and build to 5.

Wow, great recommendations, arti. I'm rubbish at remembering. Must try!

I forgot to say that she recommended doing the clench and holds 5 times a day too (10 times each).

Thanks arti - will give those a try.

I remember at my NCT class last time round they gave you some red sticky dots and told you to stick them everywhere as a visual reminder to do your clenches! (Do you remember that Rosemerta? Still got your stickies?) The teacher said stick them on the phone, your mirror anywhere really but the funniest one was to put one on your partners forehead as apparently it 'benefits' both of you to be practicing whilst intimate!!!!!

hah! I like that!

Has anyone else got ribache? I feel like I've pulled a muscle in there.

Forgot to say - went to GP yesterday for blood pressure and it's gone down a bit more - yay! I'll be back to low bp soon! And he also said that it's lying head down now, which is cool - although it may well move before then, damn it! And listened to its heartbeat - oh yay! I do love that! So reassuring, even if you feel it kicking all the time!

Beans, you always sound so happy!!

I like the idea of the christmas bib things, but would be worried it would tempt fate for the little monster not to arrive in time for crimbo!! you are a bit earlier than me so I guess not an issue for you!

beans that is such a cute bib, and even more I love the christmas pudding coverall bib on the same page. SL I'm just like you and due too close to Christmas to tempt fate by buying cute outfits!

Love the idea of the red dots, but even if I achieve 1 set a day I'll be getting better. Now must start clenching ...

we learnt about pelvic floor exercises at uni so i have been doing them fairly regularly since then, (but still have the sneaky sneeze wee whilst up the duff). As a result i have a very strong pelvic floor which they think is the reason DS's 2nd stage was so so long. So since i had him i have toned them down a bit. Will pick them up when this one is out. We all had a giggle in class because the rationale for doing them was reduce risk of incontinence, good post baby recovery and....a tighter grip on your man, that is what it said in our textbook!!!!

Is there really an association with a longer second stage Veggie??

I had been worrying about the opposite (i.e. that if mine are weak I might not be able to push the baby out). Do you need good muscle tone for effective pushing? I needed forceps last time.

oh and very exciting news a close friend of mine just had her 2nd baby, her first DS (who i just looked after while she had this one today) had to be delivered by emergency c-section, so she really wanted to have a natural birth this time around and she did & very quickly too. She had a very sympathetic consultant (other consultants at the hosp weren't too keen on her trying for it naturally, i mentioned her a few threads ago) but luckily the nice consultant works on a thursday and her little girl chose thursday to arrive so hooray. I am so pleased for her. She stayed at home until literally 30mins before birth, then got to hosp just in time for her arrival.

i don't know but my midwife said she was expecting me to have long 2nd stage because i have a tight pelvic floor, also a result of being very active (i do triathlons) my 2nd stage was 3 hrs. i'm not sure really what your saying sounds right too. I've just checked i can hold my pelvic floor for 9 seconds. if you needed forceps that may not have been because of your pelvic floor though would it, you obviously managed to push it that far. I think i was so tight it was hard for him to make his way through.

hello ladies. i just wanted to chip in about the pelvic floor discussion - from my anatomical knowledge from my voice course and having spoken to some experts... do the pelvic floor exercises, by all means, a toned pelvic floor is one that will help in labour and get back to shape sooner than one which has not been exercised, BUT... you need to be able to completely release it as well, as that is the only way the baby's going to come out in the 2nd stage. a lot of people tend to practice the pelvic floor exercises and not concentrate on a full and complete release as well (i would also accompany it by sounding on an "or" sound, but completely understand why most of you wouldn't be joining me). so, please remember to really release.

also, don't forget that at times when tension, stress, pain and fear combine (what i presume childbirth can be like), our instincts are to pull away from the pain/stress/fear and tighten ourselves down there - try to practice really consciously releasing in whatever way you can.

sorry for the long waffle.

waitinggirl - that sounds a bit like the sphincter thing someone mentioned higher up, I read in an Ina May book about how by singing or blowing raspberries or other things that relax your throat, it helps relax the other sphincters (beans is right, it's such a stupid word!) so that must be what your 'or' thing is doing.

While I'm no good at pelvic floors, I've certainly found that making a silly face and a low groany noise has helped with (ahem) constipation, so it must be working somehow! As long as there's nobody else in the loo at work, of course

hehe thats what my DS does when he does a poo. I have been practicin my Jaya breath and oms and chanting when i do yoga at home and think it helps with a bit of release and hoping the practice will help me ge into that in the first stages of labour. I def tightened up when in labour (1st stage) luckily didnt stop me having natural birth but think it could have been quicker if i had have been a bit 'looser'. have also heard you shouldn't do pelvic floor exercises in 2 weeks before EDD.

Hello all .

I seem to have popped out big style over the last couple of weeks (28+4 now). I got measured today and it's shaping up to be another mega baby! I'm measuring 32. Growth scan for me, though I'm not sure what that will mean as I'm already booked for an elective (coming out through the sunroof as MW puts it). I've already had GTT which was fine too. Does anyone know if there are any associated complications with carrying a bigger baby? I just thought big is big, so I don't understand why they would want to monitor me more closely. Saying that, I'm appreciating the scan as it will give me an idea of roughly how big it is now, and possibly at term (I'm not trusting it 100% though as they were way out with DD - estimated her at 8lbs at term, she was 10lbs 12oz at 41 weeks). It will also give me another chance to confirm the gender, as last sonographer wasn't forthcoming. I realise it isn't strictly for this purpose, but I'm taking the opportunity!

I've also moved maternity leave forward to 34+5 from 36+5. I'm struggling to educate the ungrateful at my current size! I'm trying to sit down more, but with some classes it's just not possible. It was either go earlier, or chance setting off early labour from all the BHs I keep getting and traumatising a group of teenagers as the substantial waters I tend to carry flood the classroom and ruin their £100 shoes!

wow Abbeymeg well done for carrying that cheeky thing, you should definitely start ML earlier.

Hello girls, cannot believe I am up and posting at this hour. Have been awake since 4am with DD1 coming in complaining she couldn't sleep. Suffice it to say she went straight off and I am still awake.

Am brewing a rotten cold and feel very sorry for myself. Hope all the other sickies on the thread are feeling better. Talking of pelvic floors, if I blow my nose really hard or sneeze, I also get a bit of a trickle, so I'd better not go too far this weekend!

Abbey, I am also huge and have huge babies and polyhydramnios as well. At my last visit I was 5 cm ahead and am off again tomorrow. My DDs were 9lb 13oz at 41w and 8lb 8 oz at 39 weeks so I grow them big too, though not as big as you. I don't think there is a problem with CS delivery of big babies if they rule out diabetes and chromosomal problems. Are you and your DP big? Dh is 6' 3" and I am 5' 9" so we are big but not huge. Big babies feed better IME so that's a bonus.

Arti, I am so sorry things are so hard for you at work. You will be so glad you did it once you get your ML and better pay but I agree that that is no consolation now.. I would see if you can work flexibly - if I leave the house at 7 to be in for 8, it makes such a difference to the hourney and the day. I feel so much less pushed around on the bus and there is time to get a bit of breakfast and have a cup of tea before starting. Take care of yourself won't you?

Am off to blow nose for 1000th time. Back later. Hope you all have a good Friday.

oh Chutney you poor thing, there is definitely something being passed around on this thread. How are youfeeling this morning Verso and all the other poorly ladies. the weekend is nearly here.

DH is hoping to get all finished up early on his job today so will not be home too late.
He has to be away for 1st 3 days next week too which is a shame but will be home then until he goes to Australia on the 13th (hopefully). We have been trying to think of the best ways to sort out my 2 weeks without him to maximise coping with bump and exhuberant 3year old. I'm sure i will be fine but seem to get a very short fuse when on my own for a few days with DS so worried i will be biting the poor childs head of every 5 mins. It is times like this i wis i had more family & friends around. DS suggested we get a cleaner in for the 2 weeks that he is away to do a big spring clean of the house which i am seriously considering. Although also feeling a bit guilty that after living here only 8 months the house already needs a big clean out.

Veggie: the cleaner sounds like a great idea. It wasn't so long ago that you'd have a spring clean and an autumn clean, so 8 months sounds about right . Means everything will be lovely and sparkly for the new baby as well

Chutney and other lurgy-ridden ladies: hope you're feeling better soon. DS has got another cold so I may be joining you soon (again).

Thanks for the reminders about pelvic floors - I try and do sets of 20 3x a day. When I remember.

Am now back at work, everyone's been terribly nice and understanding though I think it's mostly fear of a) me vomming on their shoes and b) help! pregnant woman is ill! she could sue!

I'm very relieved to report that junior is still very active, and currently wedged somewhere up under my ribcage, so can't have suffered too much. I however have noticed that I've got several really attractive burst bloodvessels in my eyes from the effort. mmmmmm.

veggie - having a cleaner come sounds like a grand idea, get the house all sorted without knackering you out. 8 months with a small child is plenty of time for a house to need a thorough clean I'd imagine!

Hi All

this is just a quick note to wish you all a happy weekend and a speedy recovery for the ropey people!

I'm off to Cumbria for a long weekend, with no phone or anything! Can't wait. Wedding anniversary. so have a smashing weekend all of you and look forward to catching up next week. Hurray!

Lots of love.

xxxx

Pelvic floor? What's that then?

I am far too behind, have had a friend staying all week, coming back up here to do a masters so been trying to find a place to live. She moves into her new house today though so I can get back to being antisocial in the evenings!

Baby did a big flip the other day and seems to have stayed put so far, pretty convinced we are head down now, the kicks are in the same places ds did his

Down side is that the little critter has gone down low again so after a precious few weeks respite I'm getting all swollen down below again.

Which makes pelvic floor exercises really difficult, almost impossible really.

Ina May is Fab

Veggie sympathy with dh being away, mine was away a lot last week and is away most of next week.

Hope all ok, taking it easy, avoiding colds and bugs etc.

beans happy anniversary, hope you have a lovely time

veggie sympathies with dh being away. Cleaner sounds like a very good idea. Do you have any close friends who could take ds for a morning or afternoon while you have a rest?

chutney sorry to hear you're coming down with the Dec thread cold! Hope it doesn't get too bad

I'm still sneezing & coughing though not as bad. The worst thing is the shops seem to have their heating on full atm & today I had to ask for a chair to sit down on as I felt a bit dizzy & faint

good afternoon, went for a lunchtime swim with DS (why do toddler pools only open for todds and babies at lunchtime) was lovely but then went out for a little shop to get my friends new daughter a present only to find that it is freezing outside esp with wet hair and i was dressed for a mild spring day. I have so much trouble dressing appropriately for the weather at this time of the year. there always seems to be one day in the year were i suddenly realise it's cold and i am dressed for the med. So we wandered aimlessly for a while and managed not to find anything. so gave up and came home to warm up. The house is still ok without heating but very chilly outside.

Unfortunately the one friend i have here in Derby so far who could take DS has just had a baby so couldn't really impose just now. DS does have a 2.5hr nursery session on 3 afternoons a weeks so guess i can't whinge too much.