Due Dec 08 -- Getting Ready for final push (in every sense!)

[Beans33]

Here's a new thread for us all lovely Dec Mums!

Thanks Jump have just done a Mothercare order and used your password! Cheers.

Verso sorry you are so down and that the "talk" with your DH didn't go well. It must be so difficult with the MS - and it's limits on what your DH can do. It must be so tricky then if you ever feel he can "rely" on it in some way. Getting some help is an excellent idea, but it seems odd that this night nanny is not returning your calls. The agency needs to know that the situation still stands only if she can arrange to give you a call.

If it makes you (and Katie any of those with one DC already but feeling overwhelmed) feel any better, I did find second time round SOOO much better/easier than first (and nothing to do with a different type of baby - they were fairly similar). It was just first time round everything seemed eternal...whereas second time round I knew that however hard, it WOULD pass. I was easier on myself too - if I had to wtach daytime telly to get through, I would, rather than rushing round like a nutter. I also strongly beleive that it is harder being heavily pregnant with a toddler than having a newborn and a toddler! Stay strong - it will get better. And stick to your guns on the help - you deserve it and you will enjoy this new baby all the more.

Arti sorry you are so low too. Its just got all too much and you were right to leave. Hope you can have a chat with your boss, I know its hard when you feel all tearful. But you need to draw a line. The bottomline is, if you went into labour tomorrow (obv hoping not) they would HAVE to cope.

ZJ sorry you are feeling rotten you poor thing. A cold is so yuk when you can't bring out the Nurofen Cold n Flu.

LadyT loving the Christmas kitch! We have a newborn hat with little antlers (or "anklers" as my DS calls them. He also called Reindeer "Radiators" all of last Christmas which was so cute). I love all that stuff - and so will your recipients. We will want pics on your profile.

Lal what a bummer about the freezer! "enjoy" the cookathon

I am laughing at Veggie and Summers lust filled chat about blokes in lycra etc! I have one gay friend who is so cute all the girls used to bemoan his status. He is also a fabulous singer.

DH and I are going to DD's very first school parent teacher meeting this evening! Feels very grown up!

Yesterday, I went to collect DD in the car - and got about a hundred yards when I realised my tyre was totally flat. It was too late to go back and ask the Nanny (who was at home with DS) to walk up and get her. It was p*ssing rain so I had to abandon the car in someone's drive and then leg it up the hill - puffing and panting to to and make school pick up in time. Actually thought I was going to give birth halfway up the incredibly steep hill...and my jogging bottoms kept slipping down revealing an expanse of stretch-marked stomach. It was SOO not a good look .... and we got totally drenched on the way home.

and hugs to you Chutney - we are a sorry bunch at the moment. Reading the Nov board cheers me up!

Twiga I feel for you, our last house had damp everywhere, was horrible.

Hello all - back again after my lunch with a friend. Things are never as bad as you expect, are they? She was sober (as sober as I've seen her for a long time anyway) and we didn't talk about it at all, which was good. I was really glad to see her and now feel a bit mean for dreading it so much. But am glad I went along.

Re the photos... DH has come up with an idea for a Christmas card, which is really naughty, but I find it hilarious... Posing as Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Terribly irreligious of us, but no offence intended and hopefully people will find it as funny as we do. Maybe we shouldn't...

We were all booked to have a maternity nurse for a week prior to Xmas and one for first week of January, but DH has had a money wobbly and decided that we can only have her for one week. He's rung her and she is coming back to us - because it's a bit late notice. It's really tough actually as I'm keen to have her for both weeks, but by the same token, I can completely see his point of view. Torn. Gosh. I'm sure we'll be ok without her, but quite nice to have the reassurance of someone to help us out.

Got 2nd NCT class tonight. Should be quite interesting - it's on breastfeeding. They are very very keen on it. Don't want to feel like I've failed if I can't do it!

Oh no, Twiga - just read some of your post. That does sound pretty miserable - good luck with sorting it out! x

twiga just read your post, how miserable for you. Hope the landlords get it sorted quickly

beans glad the lunch with your friend went better than expected. Re bf, I tried & 'failed' with ds. I put failed in commas because at the end of the day, both of us were much happier when I stopped trying to bf & just started to ff. Bf isn't the be-all & end-all, and however you choose to feed, that alone doesn't make you the best or worst mother in the world! Having said all that, I will try to bf dc2 but I won't put myself through all the guilt again if it doesn't work.

Right, will get off my high horse now

Thanks for the cold sympathies - and indith thanks for the medication suggestions, didn't know lavender helped apart from smelling nice, but it's good. I don't have any lemon and ginger, so have substituted hot vimto with honey and lemon, mmm.

And reading what some of you are going through today (lots of hugs all round to arti/twiga/verso and anyone else who needs one) - makes my moans feel pretty pathetic and you are all doing so well to deal with things, and I hope you all get a satisfactory conclusion and fast.

Good job veggie and summer have lightened the mood with your lusting, you've made me giggle this afternoon!

kayz were you in York today? Where did you get the bra from? I still need to get that sorted (although trying to hang on a few more weeks yet)

I've just had a message from a friend who is overdue - she planned a homebirth and has been practising lots of hypnobirthing and so on, but her BP has been sky high for a couple of weeks so she's been taken in for a CS tomorrow. I feel really sorry for her, as she's put so much effort into learning the hypnosis (she has a phobia of hospitals and has had to be sedated for treatment in the past), but she's managing to be positive and looking forward to being a Mum by tomorrow. I hope to be able to pass on news of a successful arrival tomorrow from her.

Hello,

Zoe I was in Malton today. Couldn't face the bus ride to York. I went to Jennifer in Malton and it was brilliant.

Beans I second Rosmerta I 'failed' BF with DS but we were so much happier once we started FF. I'm hoping to BF DS2 and have read lots of books. 'Bestfeeding' is a great book BTW. Never think you have failed though and don't let anyone else make you think you failed.

Twiga I am so sorry for you. We had a slight damp problem in the old flat and had to get rid of a load of stuff like our wardrobe and bookcase.

Hope everyone is feeling ok.

hey there, had yoga this afternoon and am now completely shattered, can't wait for DH to get back tomorrow. Poor DS he came home from nursery with way too much energy and was jumping around and on me, i snapped at him and told him to go play. He then wandered off and got his little keyboard and put on one of the demo songs and started singing to any tune he could find 'i love you my mummy, i love you my mummy' i felt so bad for snapping at him.

Beans- read up all you can on breastfeeding, i didnt cos i thought what could there possibly be about it that i need to know, it just feeds them. How wrong could i be. But i have to say the best help you can get to increase your chances of it happening is support as soon as baby comes out. Don't put too much pressure on yourself but just giving it a go and making sure you get help with it will put you in good sted. I was lucky enough to have some great midwives and no thanks to a bunch of crap GP's i was able to BF ds for as long as i wanted (well as long as he wanted i would have gone on forever, but he decided 2 was old enough). But just take it easy there will be people who will pressure you and others who will give you no good help at all. In the end what works for you and your bub is the right thing to do

veggie, my ds was doing the same today. I was really tired and had no energy today but he got his keyboard & said 'I'm playing music for mummy'. Plus he kept smiling at me & asking if we were friends. Enough to make me cry just thinking about it!

Oh bloody hell, just burst into uncontrollable sobs at the 'giving birth in a lift' storyline in Holby City, how pathetic am I!?!?!

oh Rosemerta, i wonder i they know they are making us feel bad or if they just want to make it all better for us. bless em.

Hello everyone

I've been absolutely rubbish at posting, we've been having work done in the house, and i've only had the internet connection on and off, so it's been really hard trying to keep up with all the posting. You do so much! Anyway, just wanted to say i hope everyone's doing well. I can't believe we're nearly there, my midwife's bringing her stuff to the house next week

Katie- when i was on mat leave with DS i got right into daytime TV which i had never done before and was watching old episodes of holby city and casualty, not good if waiting to have a baby as everyone seems to have babies by emergency traumatic C-section and there are complications so they usually had to stop the heamorraging by doing a hysterectomy as well. nightmare, oh and every few weeks there was a major bus/train/plane crash.

Katie, I had the same problem when watching ER!

Veggie, I like to think they're trying to make it better for us!

Joinig the insomnia, but at least its meant I can catch up with everyone. Honestly you lot I disappear off to RL for a day and come back to 3pages.

Beans much laughing at the Mary & Joseph card thats fab. LadyT its a must no matter how tacky you have previuosly thought it we did it to DS last yr and dressewd him as Santa for his chrimbo thankyou cards.

Arti how did it go, chin up my love think you need to put oyur feet up a bit. These last few wks are horrid.

at men in tights and turning gay men. I am sure if Will Young met me he would fall at my feet in a second. Especially if he saw me sitting here in my dressing gown with yesterdays mascara smudged down my face.

Blimey just had the most horrible pain in my bump sort of like a hot poker stabbing me ouchy.

Verso I used to be a nanny if you would like any sort of advice to ask away.

Much love to everyone I have missed.

Am determined to have a cheery day today, despite feeling like death warmed up after a nightmare-filled, leg-cramping, back and hip-aching night of very little sleep .

I've got a dental checkup this morning (thought I should get it in before the baby comes!) so will be taking DD on the bus - which she loves . She hasn't got to have her teeth checked - am just trying to get her a bit more used to going. (Last time she practised "opening my mouth for the dentist" beautifully beforehand and then sat with her mouth clamped shut thusly --> :-| throughout!)

Then my MIL and her partner are coming round this afternoon. I dug my heels in and have told DH that I'm not doing a roast or anything because her partner is sooooo picky - and will be sending DH out to get us fish and chips. Genius! (if I say so myself)

I think this last part of pregnancy is really taxing. One thing about this thread that is so good is knowing you're not alone. I wish there weren't so many of us feeling rubbish, but at least we can sympathise with one another.

Btw I am trying very hard not to mention that poor baby that died. I can hardly bear to even think about it. I hadn't seen the news and DH told me about it yesterday. Simply appalling.

morning all!
Hope you're feeling well - verso, sorry you had a crappy night's sleep. I was awake for much of it due to a joint effort between my bladder and dd1 who has a horrible cough (she's asthmatic) but am actually not feeling too bad for it. Strange how one day 8 hours is not enough and another 2 seems to be ok - will be saying something different by lunch time I'm sure!!!
Just coming to the end of an 80 minute Land-Before-Time fest with lovely snuggles on the settee so will have to move now and actually entertain her...
hope you have good days
xxx

Hi All, just a quick message to say I am lurking and following on my phone but prob no Internet until mid next week so will catch up properly then.

Move has been a complete nightmare, much stuff 'lost' in storage including a sofa and our mattress and many other things. DH very mad and still trying to find out what has happened to our stuff.

I take it all back about moving at 8 months not being as bad as I thought. Preg hormones definitely don't help in a crisis!

Good vibes to all those suffering, proper post to follow when back online.

Morning,

I feel like death!!! DS woke up at 10 to 1 and didn't go back to sleep until half 2. DH always bloody sleeps through him crying and sometimes it drives me mad!! Then when I did get back to bed DH was snoring like a walrus!! I had BH's all night too and DH would not wake up. Bit worried about going into labour in the middle of the night and he won't wake up.

Verso Sorry you had a crap night too. That poor baby. It made me cry loads last night as he was only 2 months younger than DS.

Trace Sorry you had a bad night too. Do you think it's our bodies getting us ready for the imminent(sp) arrivals?

Ooooh Gay Men, I always seem to like the boyband memeber who turns out to be gay. ALWAYS!!! Stephen from Boyzone and Mark from Westlife. Its so unfair!!!

Hope you all have good days. 4 weeks and 2 days to go for me!!!

Yawn, morning. Been up all night cos the warehouse opposite me was on fire and we didn't dare sleep. At least it's original! . It took the fire service at least 4 hrs to put it out, and they're still there now.

But I don't need to go to work today, so think i will just lounge around a bit more.

Ah well, that's my excitement for the year, oh yeah, apart from having a baby that is!

Oh and it has reminded me, that I MUST GET SOME FIRE ALARMS for our house.

Message withdrawn

welcome Cat!!!!!!!!!
Are you on maternity leave? This thread moves quickly - we seem to be a chatty bunch!!

Blimey, I don't think any of us are getting much sleep nowadays, are we?

Pixsix, you might not see this message but I'm sorry moving was crappy. I hate moving, it sucks. Hope some of the stuff comes to light...

I read the chapter on c-sections in What to Expect When You Are Expecting before bed (never do this, it is folly) because DP remarked that he was dreading my waters being broken with a hook. He is very squeamish and I know he is fretting that he won't be able to cope in theatre. I think they actually only do this hook business when you are being induced but he thought that the obstetrician had said that I would have this (I do vaguely remember her talking about it actually but I didn't think it applied to me at the time). Anyway, then I started to feel quite apprehensive about other things. I am quite brave about hospitals and surgery and stuff normally, but some aspects of this don't sound like fun. Principally:

epidural/spinal block - does it hurt when they put it in your back? I had a lumbar puncture once (spinal tap) and that was hucking agony. Surely it can't be as awful as that.

Will they put the catheter in AFTER the anaesthesis has been administered?

Do you get taken to Recovery once all the stitching has been done and for how long?

And then there's potential vomiting and nausea...pain around the incision (which presumably will be kept at bay by painkillers)..general weakness...endless examinations (or do they leave you alone?)...afterpains...abdominal discomfort/wind...that first wobbly and sickening attempt to get out of bed... Anyone have any thoughts on this? Suddenly I am not so sanguine as I previously thought I'm not paralysed with fear or anything and I think some apprehension at this stage is only natural, but...