due in jan on the home stretch now!! on the 1st day of christmas my true love gave to me a baby up in a tree,2 babygros,3 teddy bears,4 waddling mummies and five smelly nappies

[tinkisallreadytositonthetree]

hi ladies thought i would be organised and start a new thread

had lovely chilled morning with ds and only just out of pjs. completely forgot that man was coming to measure for shutters on front window but he just laughed and said he was very jealous of us both. ds obsessed with sausage at the moment so as long as i tell him that's what lunch is he eats it happily!
xmasbooksgalore bless your dc. love it when they are in their own world doing things. nappies a battle with ds and not relishing having 2 lots to change.
sounds like there will be more babies soon as some definite nesting going on. i was ironing at 11pm while dh was in bed talking to me. he tried to get me to put it down but i was not having it until babygros were done.
wonder if hm has baby yet?
rrayray think you have given me your sore throat !
love the funny birth stories thread. only funny bit for me looking back was after coming back from hospital first time as only 3cm dilated, i decided to have a bath. dh and il's sat downstairs eating a chinese under strict orders to ignore all noises unless i called their names! fil says he can never eat chinese in quite the same way as it always reminds him of me groaning.....

hi all, tree thank you so much for the swabs information, they did do a triple, so understand why now! They aren't the best at explaining when they are keen to get up there .

right. my news is now the consultant has signed me off from the old hospital and is really please with my progress (low blood pressure and no sign of pre-eclampsia - don't know if asprin from 16wks helped, but am pleased I took it now).

I didn't go back last night as the contractions tailed off, slept really well then... they are back today. Also have strong pressure low in back (feels like someone's foot is pushing me in the bum). Still not sure if I'm in labour. Think I may start one of those threads!

Morning-ish!

DS2 and I have slept the morning away - again! Can't say I feel better for it, but am sure it is all adding up against my sleep debt.

Books, I came up with the same idea last night, squirt of medicine followed by a smartie (he's not normally allowed smarties, not least because they are Nestle, but someone gave him some for being poorly) then another squirt and another smartie then 2 or 3 smarties for finishing! Unfortunately we then had to do the same in the middle of the night, but he took his medicine with no fuss at all this morning, such a relief after all the fighting.

We have been receiving some lovely cards and presents from other children/Mums at the school. He has been given two teddies in the last 24hrs alone! Don't know quite where we are supposed to put them though, there is already little room for him in his bed due to his cuddly toy obsession.

Wish I had the energy that you 'nesting' ladies have, really need to get going, haven't even packed a bag yet! Mind you I don't fit through the doorway of the room where all the baby stuff is, as we are storing furniture from our room in the entrance.

I'm not 100% but I think madam might have shifted, but shifted into a transitional position. Can definitely feel a hard lump either side where my waist used to be! Lying on my side feels like lying on a brick. Am clinging to the hope that she is just half-way on her journey downwards, but am starting to accept that a c-section is a real likelihood. To be quite honest, am getting to the point where I don't care anymore, I just want this baby out. Feel guilty about it though as I always wanted to keep the boys in for as along as possible.

Does anyone know what they do about c-sections around Christmas. Are they likely to delay it until after Christmas or get me in before, then discharge as quick as possible? Haven't really a clue how long I would have to be in for either, as everyone I've spoken to seemed to have different lengths of stay.

Another question, will I need to take anything different to hospital than for a normal delivery (other than big high waist pants and nightwear that avoids the scar area)?

MM- This one was transverse up until about 33wks ish and I would have been facing a c/s between 23rd and 30th Dec. I was told I'd be given a date and time which wouldn't be 25/26th unless emergency and would be in for 3days afterwards or longer if there was any reason to keep me longer. I was panicking as DD's bday is the 28th and I didn't want to miss that and xmas - mw said there would be "an element" of choice on the date and they would take personal circumstances into accoutn as much as possible.

When I had DD I was in from 25th-29th Dec as my waters had gone and it was pretty much normal service on xmas day and boxing day, although they didn't do any inductions xmas day. When I (finally) got to the post-natal ward on the 28th I was on a ward with two women who'd had electives on the 24th, and both were discharged on the 29th with me.

Thanks LenniEd am just trying to get mentally prepared for my appointment with consultant on Thursday morning. Have just found a great site called csections.org which has loads of useful info but is a bit overwhelming.

Hi MM - just fill me in so I don't have to trawl the thread. How many weeks and how many babies, how delivered and how many weeks? Getting midwife head on so tell me sod off if you like! trying t o suss why your bubbs is mobile, and what they would do about Christmas.

A stay post section is 2 to 4 nights decided by you and your health, and the clinical situations. So, an elective section on a well woman and child for breech, 2 nights. A more copmlicated clinical picture, prolonged rupture of membranes or raised BP - longer stay, the main reason people stay in though is feeding and geting breastfeeding practice.

You won't need different stuff as such, the scar is very low so unless pj's are hipsters they wont rub.

Big Big belly warmer knickers apply to all of us. Loads of them and cheap, they hold pads in lace and feel secure.

got rug,storage boxes and lamp all great 10 w bulb is bright enough for dd to read by 2

Qumps No Chance are you blaming your sore throat on me! Was hoping to be better today, but seems i am gettin worse before getting better. have cancelled all the nice things i was doing this week so i can recover, last thing i want to do is be ill for christmas. hoping to still meet my friend in bluewater fri for last min bits & bobs, but have to see how i am feeling, plus don't want to give lurgy to her or her baby (about 5 months old) just in time for Christmas!!

moosemama good luck for consultant appointment thurs morning. think you are right to be/get as informed as possible.

Have got midwife appointment at 4.30pm tomorrow. Be interested to see what shes says about baby position, as last appointment was back to back but am 99% sure she no longer is, plus head has dropped even LOWER now- possibly engaged? We shall see!

Tree i was chatting to a lady the other night, she is 3 days past due date. She has a low lying placenta 1.5cm from the os. The baby is also oblique but she says this is normal for her and they dont get head down and engage till labour.

She is holding off on her section as she is sure when the cervix is pulled anterior during labour the gap between placenta and os will increase. She wants it to move up to 2cm and then she will go for a natural delievry, ECV first and break waters holding head in place. How likely is it that the placenta would move? I don't want to get the text books out i cant help reading it all and scaring myself!

Moose i had a section first and did not really need anything different tbh. A straw for drinking afterwards as bending over to drink was painful. Keep positive though the baby may turn. My last 2 have been breech till late and turned

LOL at your name LG&T!!

Thanks for the link to that site MM - loads of good info even for VBs.

Do either of you mw-headed ladies know what the current advice is on waterbirths once your waters have gone? I wasn't allowed to use the pool last time since had PROM (72hrs before est. labour) but don't know whether things have changed?

G&T - won't the placenta just seperate as the lower segment takes up the cervix and the cervix and lower segment accomodate the presenting part?
They move as the uteus becomes pear shaped 28 weeks-ish. I'd say it's there for the duration and labour won't move it - it will shear it off [worse case] or that area will cease to function [will be apparent on CTG, I imagine that will challenge the baby in labour but I guess it may be OK] or the placenta will cope but surely be in the way and therefore dilatation wont occur?? I think I'd certainly expect a considerable blood loss in labour at anyrate.

Suppose if she has had lots of babies then it may well be normal for them only to engage in labour - but I'd be suspicious baby can't get in as it's avoiding the placenta and bumping into the equivalent of a huge duvet.

Do you agree?

LenniEd - I don't think there is a specific best practice here so it may be unit specific. If they want continuous monitoring then land it is. Others may be happy if your temp and pulse is normal and swabs are negative. Would have to research that!

I do. Am concerned. She bled lots during her last delievery too and is 40 minutes from the hospital. She normally goes 10 days over and is happy to wait.

I would be in there having a section or at least sitting in the hospital. She saw her consultant again on Monday and i have not spoken to her again.

Lenni i am a virgin dontcha know

PMSL....

Now Tree i am away over Xmas at mil, shall i take my HB delivery pack too I will of course pack a shower curtain to save on the mess. Do i need to phone the local hospital that i will be in their vicinity and would like a HB?

I see the midwife tomorrow so should just ask her but i always forget things once in there.

It's a bit of a 'dodgy' one to be sure. The chances of placental abruption surely low as it's rare of course - but dearie me when it happens! Would be nervous if t'was me/my caseload.

Ooooh, and another question...

DD was born with cord looped round her neck, and that had caused quite a lot of intervention as heart rate kept dipping during labour. It also might have been what caused her to turn posterior just before labour. Is it anything you can do anything about with positioning late on, or is it just bad luck?? It led to a failed ventuose attempt which left me with a bad 2nd degreetear - DD ended up being delivered normally before the doctor could get the equipment sorted out to try again. MWs were very pleased with themselves (and me) since they had asked for a bit more time before the ventuose was used - think it was nice for them to be proved right. Anyway, am keen to avoid that scenario again if I can, or at least put my mind to rest that I couldn't have done anything about it.

Funny how the closer you get to the end, the more you go over your last birth. I couldn't even remember most of mine until recently, but feel like I'm gradually recalling every last detail now.

Thanks tree - didn't realise you were both actually here then! You two are going to be in hot demand over the next 6 wks or so you know - we're all very fortunate to have you

lalalalalalalala

I worry about the poor midwife that attends me Tree. I am previous section (10 years ago with the twins) followed by 3rd degree tear, normal HB with 2nd degree tear that needed hosp stitching, 40 minute delivery with shoulder dystocia (easily sorted with a change of position) and cord round neck that had to be clamped before delivery of body, induction with deep transverse arrest. The magic registrar turned him with the ventouse (hugged her)

I am having this one at home as the hospital is 40 minutes away and i will deliver in a taxi on the way alone. DH does not drive and we have no childcare nearby.

Poor woman.

I think all the walking i have done this time has kept the baby in a good position, the last 2 have been breech till very late.

Wow! LG&T that is quite a collection. You do realise though that you are missing a nice easy straightforward homebirth with no complications? I'm certain fate dictates you will complete the set . That's just how it works.

Do you know, I find shelling peas a bloody annoying job.