November 2008: October are popping like peas.......it'll soon be our turn to moo on our knees!!

[LackaDAISYcal]

Better, No? less cheese-tastic

Welcome newbies.
Sorry for pink's keys to safe. Oh dear.
Hope Misdees move goes o.k.
Glad others are doing birth plans - thomasina and ruthosaurus. I have finished mine.
Went to Kings today. Had 345 wk scan. Everyhting is fine and I don't need to go back for 2 weeks ( protocol is every week now) hoorah. That will make me 36 wks. Saw mr marsh but he still says 38 weeks = about 3 nov, not confirmed. Which is fine.
Happy birthday Suiledonn.

Sauraus I also wake up with a sniffy nose, feels like i'm going to stop breathing. I still keep on having nose bleeds too which doesn't help matters.

Birth Plans - My MW didn't ask me anything about it on monday?!?!?!! DH and I have been talking about it and he would like to cut the cord (which he wasn't allowed to with other 3 children), and also would like to if possible be the one that holds the baby on the way out (not sure how this would work, does anyone know if it is possible?)

Aw, I LOVE the photo of the happily sleeping couple with matching nose strips! It might be worth a go, Thomasina as it's really starting to get me down now. Just seeing if I can add them to my Tesco order...

It has been so loI y after I got out, I had a massive bleed!! Started about midnight in the middle of mt (cream carpeted) living room. It took DH and I a moment of panic before I dashed to the (lino floored) kitchen. ambulance
And my family, only my wee sis answered, even tried the neighbours but no response. Was a tense hour!
Got to hospital and all seemed ok, was put on a drip and baby monitored. All fine and well.
Not in labour and baby was happy. So back to monitoring.
Unfortunately the next morn i had further bleeding. So, my hospital not being equiped to deal with such a premature baby (should the beelding coninue hey were going to c section) I was rushed, by air ambulance, all the way to Dundee! (we are up by John o groats, so a fair distance)

i then spent another weekend in another hospital being monitored (much less, BTW, than i had been in my local hospital)

I was released yesterday, got home about 7.30 last night.

I am now going to be scanned like a crazything and monitored a lot and am just hoping that I can make it to 37 weeks ( i am 33 at mo). Any time before and i will have to be transported, again, to a hospital that can cope with prem babies.

Yikes!
All horrid and scary but all seems to be well for now, fingers crossed that i can remain well for another 4 weeks.

Sorry for any bad typos etc, DD is clambering all over me as I try to get this written
Golly I missed her, but, agian, she didn't miss me at all. But it was nice to get home ad for her to scream 'Mummy!' and run into me for big cuddles!

Perhaps later i will manage to catch up with you all.
I can't believe that I quickly read that someone is 37 weeks already!!!

Oh, good news though! My DB and his GF had a little baby girl 6llb14oz on Friday. Olivia Poppy.
An easy enough birth, mostly spent in the pool, but had to end in stirrups after 2hrs of pushing, but no intervention and very little gas and air never mind anything stronger, so not bad really.
he is so proud of them both , it is fantastic!

OMG Missygoo, you brave thing! What a trauma! Get in that bed now and make DH bring you things. He must have been terrified too, poor both of you.

Biiiiiiiiiig hugs all round.

bloody hell missygoo

sounds like a real nightmare. Hope you are OK. I think I would be refusing to leave the hospital until baby was delivered safely. Much baby staying put vibes coming your way. Have they not got a reason for the bleeding? Is the placenta position OK?

not the way to get a ride in a helicopter is it?!

Glad to hear you are ok MissyG sounds like you have had a bit of an ordeal. Fingers crossed for you that everything stays well until 37 weeks. Can't believe you have to go all the way to Dundee tho, that seems like an awful large part of the country that isn't covered properly?!

Rutho your narrative still makes me smile.

MW (different one) has also confirmed baby not breech and given go ahead for me to try the Raspberry Leaf tea capsules I bought. Will give them a go... (If anyone else is interested in them I got them in Holland & Barrett)

gosh missyg, what a trauma. you sound so calm and ok about it. i would be in a right state. like lacks says, is there no reason for bleeding? where is it coming from? so glad baby is ok though, and just hope 'it' stays put for at least another week. I felt ok when I got to 34 weeks as that is when lungs are developed and quite often don't need long in a special care unit or ventlator or anything at that age.

sparkle, i tried raspberry leaf last time. didn't seem to bring on labour, but i did have a quick (ish) labour so maybe it helped contractions to be stronger. (I was also walking around though until I was 5cms and taken to delivery where they strapped me up to monitor).

oh obs, would like to see your cs plan if you are ok to show me. i have no idea what you put in a cs plan. lacks will also mail you.

Missy oh poor you! Hope you take time to rest and not do anything else. Keep that baby where it belongs! Little monkey, fancy scaring it's mummy like that! big hugs to you!! xx

Sparkles i've had to order them into our local Holland and Barratt (raspberry tablets that is) as they had run out. When can we start taking them? MW said they only help the contractions do their job, and don't induce labour, is that right?

Cheers, sparkle!

I feel really really thick asking this, but what's raspberry leaf tea (RLT) for? Would it make BH contractions worse, do you think?

Sauraus apparently for the actually tea to work you have to drink loads of it!

Merry & Pinkali, I have heard mixed reviews of the Raspberry Leaf, my own reasons for taking were because a friend took them and said they were apparently good for.. how can I put this.. er making fanjos more stretchy?!

I basically want to avoid another episotomy so if they would help I am interested! Don't mind so much about their speeding up, more effective contractions properties but if they did that too..

I read you can take from 34 weeks, MW said ok from 32 weeks today. However I have seen people on MNet advising not to take before 37 weeks (I think incase they did induce labour?). The research I read said they can take time to do their job so as MW has given go ahead I am personally happy to give them a try now (am 35 weeks on Fri). Will let you know if any adverse effects tho!

One more thing, I am thinking of trying the birthing pool this time, anyone else tried this/researched it?

Rutho I will just look out the stuff I read about Raspberry Leaf so I can accurately quote what it says! It was more a friend's recommendation that got me interested for the reason above! You have to take 3 capsules a day but I didn't fancy the tea as I hate herbal tea at best of times!

Sparkles, I am also 35 weeks on friday so may start taking them. I like your definition of how they work

My MW also said that an old wives tale is that if you do not get stretch marks on your tummy you are less likely to tear as your skin is stretchy! Can anyone verify this?

I'm going for the birthing pool if there's one available at the hosp, sparkle - it sounds ace! Plus, I get DH to wear swimming shorts in public.

Ok, this is from www.expectancy.co.uk.

Raspberry leaf may tone the uterus in preparation for labour. Certain chemicals in the leaves are thought to act like the pregnancy hormone, oestrogen - although recent Australian research has not conclusively proved that it works. The tea is apparently better than the tablets but not everyone likes the taste!

There are some caveats to its use tho so I would recommend you research it before buying (e.g apparently not suitable for anyone who has previously had a CS, premature labour or rapid labour, any bleeding, multiple births, severe high BP or breech baby etc...)

This site advises that it takes time to work so advises not to leave it to end of pregnancy (apparently 32 weeks+ is fine to start). You may experience strong Braxton Hicks when you first start them so you should reduce the amount to a level you find comfortable. Remember that you had quite strong BH Rutho so don't know if this would be good for you??

It basically advises that you let your MW know if you do want to try them...

Sparkle That was so....delicately put, "Stretching your fanjos ". Ha ha.... love it.
On the subject of fanjo stretching, has anyone else bothered in previous pregnancies with lubing up your perineum with oil to prevent tearing?
(this is a lurv-e-lee conversation ain't it?)

Missy - what a flaming nightmare! You poor woman. Hoping you are taking it easy now [sad}

sparkle - I'm 35-1 day and i started the rapsberry leaf tea this morning - two teaspoon in a mug, infused for 5 minutes with a bit of honey.
I couldnt find tablets.

I'm going to try the pool as pain relief as well.... but im a first-timer so i dont know what works/what doesnt or even what to expect!!!

We had this convo about perineal massage. Didn't make any difference for me, but provided a lot of laughs and memorable moments with me and dh (NB. NOT sexy).

Pinkali I did not get a single stretch mark with DS but did have to have an episotomy as they needed forceps to deliver DS. So technically I didn't tear! However not taking any chances and my friend who recommended RL tablets said her 2nd DS was 9.5lbs and no tear! (she DID get stretchmarks tho...)

LOL at thought of my DS in his trunks Rutho, not sure if he would actually want to be in there with me tho.. Another friend of mine used the pool with her first DC and said she got very numb. She was in it for 7 hours tho! Think they try to advise that you don't stay in it that long so recommend that you go in at very end stage? It does sound great tho and MW today really recommended it.

Glad you liked my def! It was as delicate as I could make it!!

I have to say I did think about massaging the area last time around and ended up with same result as hanaflower! It was all too weird for me too.

Let us (well at least me!) know how you get on with the tea too Tostaky

MerryMarigold Well done on your pronunciation. You got the first part bang-on. For the donn bit I would pronounce it more like 'down', although with all languages it varies and I'm sure a true native speaker might correct me on that.

Missygoo What a frightening time for you. Hope the worst is over and little one stays put a bit longer.

DD is now completely recovered. My sister is entertaining her while I get the dinner on and then we are having a little birthday party for me.

I didn't do any perineal massage or drink raspberry leaf tea last time round and had a quick labour, natural birth, no pain relief and no tears so based on the 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' school of thought I plan to do nothing this time round.