Due Dec 08 - Christmas inductions ... The Holly and The I.V.

[kayzisexpecting]

Here I have done it!!!!!

Just need more babies now!!!!!

Well done Lal, that's lovely news.

Thanks for all your kind words everyone. I have had both an em and a planned section, so you think I'd be an old hand at it all by now. I am just worried about it being my 3rd section, my age, the anaesthetic, the surgery, etc etc. I am not worried at all about the after bit other than how my girls are going to be with a new baby. The big one is excited but doesn't really realise the enormity of it, and the little one is just upset as she knows something is going on but doesn't really understand what.

Am now going to pack bags etc. Back later. Hope you are all having a good sunday.

kmp I agree that it's no one's business but yours why you have chosen an elective c/s. I find it astonishing how many people feel entitled to express an opinion on such private things though. on your behalf. I'll post the details of what happened at some point - I may have to edit it offline though in bits and pieces and post later! The anesthetist was very good, actually, for the spinal - just it can smart a bit for some people and I was unlucky. Also I have quite flat veins, which is why the problems with the I.V. (You could totally see the m/w raising her eyebrows at my lovely bruises yesterday - until I explained I am sure she thought I was a battered wife .)

M/w has been back today and given DD2 a clean bill of health . She actually took her to the window this time rather than trying to assess her colour under electric light >sigh

Kayz i just found this on a website so cut and pasted it, it also said it can't bring on labour. I have to say i drank it last time and had a 3 hour 2nd stage so can't vouch for the speeding up of the 2nd stage but i did have fast 3rd stage and barely any bleeding and the vitamins bit sounds good. In fact i fancy a cup now.

the benefits

Raspberry leaf tea is nutrient rich and contains many of the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy pregnancy including vitamins A, C, E and B, magnesium, calcium and iron. Consuming raspberry leaf tea not only helps mother and baby to get all the nutrients they need but can also help to replenish a new mothers stores after the birth.

Raspberry leaf tea also contains the alkaloid 'fragine' which is said to strengthen and tone the muscles of the uterus, helping them to contract more efficiently during labour. Research has found that taking raspberry leaf during the weeks prior to delivery helps to shorten the second stage of labour by making contractions more effective. Some studies have also found that it reduces the need for an assisted delivery (i.e. an emergency cesarean or use of forceps or ventouse).

Sipping raspberry leaf tea during and after the birth is also said to help the uterus contract back down to size, reduce after birth bleeding and help initiate the let down of breastmilk.

While there hasn't been a huge amount of research into this area, the general consensus does seem to be that drinking raspberry leaf tea during the latter stages of pregnancy can help to make for a 'better' labour with few side effects.

did the MW not weigh this time, sounds a bit like she didnt know what she was talking about last time. They get quite hung up on weight when it is just one outcomes in a number of assessmet tool, like wet nappies, and visual assessment. But i think some MW & HV like numbers to write down. Also something else they never seem to take into account is whether the baby has had a meconium poo before the weight was taken at birth, if those poos are still inside they can weigh quite a lot compared to the babies own weight and contribute to the 10% you were talking about (the one she forgot about).

oh chutney you poor thing, i think you need chocolate, in fact i will join you (passes over some green&blacks hazelnut in dark chocolate).

TYV we got a packet of tea time assortment and some yummy waffer chocolate buscuit things for DH & the MW during labour and for me with my cup of tea afterwards. However i don't think they are going to make it to the birth, DH is already talking about opening them for the next MW visit just to make sure she likes them.

Hi everyone

Verso ? Really happy to hear that you?re so much more positive with DD2 (despite the efforts of the MW yesterday ? grr to her, and good on DH sticking by your side today). I love the photo of Frieda, what a sweetheart!

Daisy ? love your priorities of keeping us up to date rather than going to straight to hospital And again so happy for you that DD is so in love with baby Harry. All these families ? I?m welling up now, but it?s so fab.

And a new baby boy for tyv! Congratulations, and a great birth story too. And a new girl for lal, congratulations again.

Mibbes ? I?m pleased to hear that its normal for the bump to stop growing once baby?s head starts to engage, I was really worried after seeing the MW, despite everything else being perfect. And DH was really good and calm and pointed out that if there was a problem I?d be sent straight to hospital ? but what I actually think I wanted was for someone else to worry too along with me! But you?ve put my mind at rest, hearing it happens to others too.

And thanks to effie/SL/mibbes etc for reassurance about BH?s (and effie ? I?m enjoying the RLT too, just having todays cuppa, so think I could quite easily up the dose to 5 a day)

Trace ? I love getting a new phone/address book/diary etc and entering everything in a nice orderly fashion ? I?m a list geek! Which reminds me, must get a 2009 diary ?

Effie ? I vote that for Xmas themed photos we go for Christmas puds, I?m feeling nice and round and pudding like already, so almost there!

Chutney - best of luck for tomorrow, will be thinking of you and your new addition to the chutney family.

I was going to do a post today about how I?m really starting to have doubts about my capabilities as a mother and that I?m now just wanting babyZJ to stay where he is and where I know he?s safe, rather than risking coming out and having to me looked after by me ? had a big old sob about it yesterday. And then I read through all your posts to discover so many others are also talking about worrying about life changing/coping with baby/etc etc, just at the same time that I?m worrying about this. MN is great, and reading through everything is making me feel better (but a little tearful) ? love you all!

Have a good afternoon everyone (especially to those with beautiful new babes to love and cuddle). We?re going to the advent service in the village, and the primary school choir are singing, so no doubt I?ll be sobbing away in time to the carols!

Kay I'm phobic to needles in a big way but i'm more terrified of a natural birth.

V I have been told that if the local is done deep enough you should feel nothing, but often it's done fast and not thoroughly? I don't know - I feel for you though. I've been stressing for weeks about the spinal and already locked in the topical for pre IV.
Glad it's all over for you now... I wish I vould have a G&T or 2 before I go in!

oh ZJ thats so sweet i can just see you having a little sniffle while those little kids belt out joy to the world and silent night.

Thanks for that Veggie, at least I wont have to force myself to drink 5 cups of it.
How about 2 bars of Green&Blacks Mint? That must work surely!!

I found it in the Deli in town yesterday and it is so good. The supermarket only sells the milk one and the dark one. I can't believe all the varieties. Might have to try cherry next.

Kmp Its only the needles that scare me, but I did just manage with a couple of injections when I had DS. Its just watching baby programs where they do CS's or have epidurals and I see the needle and think that I would probably pass out.
I had to have a blood test once and the dr showed me the needle and the little tube things the blood goes into and I passed out. It has been added to all my notes to not show me the needle.

Oh yeah forgot to tell you.

Went to see MIL yesterday. She wasn't too bad, I went to change DS's nappy and she said she would do it as it is getting a struggle to get down on the floor. But she has told me when I have to have the baby and given me a list of dates to avoid as she has a lot of birthdays in December.

So I have until the 8th to have him, so basically this week. SIL's birthday is the 10th and she has loads between the 20th and the 30th so not between those dates either.

Everthing I do is wrong and now even when my baby is due is wrong too!!!!!!!!

he showed you the needle!!! what sort of a sadist is he. I'm not scared of needles but i don't really see the point of being shown the needle before it being used on you. Do you know most needle phobia comes from stupid health professionals like that. I have had to give injections or take blood from kids who are really stressed out by it because of previously bad experiences, including being forcefully held down while have injections etc. Its so horrible for them each time they need something done or blood tested.

He said that most people with needle phobia only have it because drs, nurses etc don't show people the needle they are going to use.

she gave you a list of dates to avoid.

My nice SIL had her 2nd baby a day after my mum had to go back home to QLD, she had come down to Sydney for the birth but had come down a week before the baby was due and only stayed 2 weeks so when the baby came just over a week late she complained to me that my SIL had done it on purpose!?!? how bizarre is that.

i think he is getting confused with health professionals just going ahead ad doing the test without giving adequate warning. makes me giggle a bit to imagine him standing there holding this needle up to you thinking he is being so kind to show you it to you and then bang out you go. Not laughing at you of course, at him.

Yeah, she did say ideally it would be better if I had him today as then he wouldn't be a December birthday.

My Dad is coming up to visit from the 8th until the 12th so I reckon baby will arrive after he has gone, just to be akward.

Hello all - blimey I've been a way for a couple of days and this thread is nearly full! But what a lot of fantastic news

TYV congrats on your hb, really looking forwards to hearing more about it and about your lovely baby boy, that's wonderful

LadyT and Verso what beautiful pictures, lovely babies all round congrats both of you.

Lal just saw the email from MrLal well done you as well massive congrats on another thread baby girl. We were due on the same day so am now full of excitement and anticipation

Chutney good luck tomorrow, will be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing about your new baby too

Re sex and curry as ways to induce - was watching Live at the Apollo and Michael Macintyre said who do you think came up with those ideas for getting labour started? He reckons the guy whose ideas they were would have tried to get football in as well somehow but women would finally have got suspicious at that point

re dates, I sing in a carol choir at work and (though this will sound very unmodest) basically hold the top line together, it's a great fun choir but reading music isn't a requirement so most people find someone they can follow and on the top line that was me. One of the older guys in the choir got very cross with me when I said I couldn't sing this year, as the baby might well be here - he said "Well didn't you think of that at the time?" Erm, nope, strangely back in March the carols weren't uppermost in my mind!

Have been having BHs for a few weeks, and got a bit of a scary one yesterday, much stronger than the others and made me stop and grab DH's arm for support - in the middle of a big shopping centre, I must admit it did cross my mind to dash to John Lewis in case the waters were about to go but it was really a lot stronger than any of the others. Haven't had another one like it since which is a bit odd - a really really slow latent labour maybe?!

I watched that too JJ. It was so funny, I do have to agree it must have been a man.

lol at the choir mans comment, does he maybe need to find a hobby outside of the choir, to realise that other people have a life outside of it. We have a few talented singers on this thread, a bet your babies love it in there lsitening to their mummies sing.

Kayz- at your MIL, i'm a december baby and love having my birthday in that month, in fact all the coolest, most laid back, happy people i know are december babies. I was so happy when we found out veggiebaby was due in december.

Yeah most of the people I know born in December are very laid back. My brother and his fiancee are both December birthdays. Her's is the 13th and his is the 14th. Its so cute I think.

Hi girls! Great news lal and TYV.....yay from a hopeful homebirther here!.
I've got to go check my emails to see these piccies!
Verso Sounds like you are doing really well!
Took DS swimming this morning and then we went out for a curry!!! [piglet emoticon!]. I WAS going to cook some lunch but DH had a craving! DS loved it!
Off into town after DS's nap to see Father Christmas and the lights going on. Hope its not too wet.
Have good afternoons!

Rosmerta you have gone scarily quiet considering you are 'next'. Hope all ok!!!

jj - lol at you considering going to John Lewis just in case!
Oli - you sound like you have a fun day planned - enjoy!
Have come over all tearful today for no particular reason. Tired I think. Oh well. Will no doubt snap out of it soon
Have no plans for this afternoon and am failing to be inspired with fun child friendly activities because it's too cold! I'm such a feeble lazy bones and poor dd just has to put up with me!
Zoe I think your feelings are totally normal - don't dwell on it! Your baby will have the best mum! I'm worried about doing things wrong 2nd time round but you just have to take things as they come. I had bad PND with dd and worried that I'd wasted our first 2 years, been a bad mum, jeopardised our bonding and relationship,....but she's turned out a fab, confident, happy little soul - despite me! It seem to be harder than you'd think to get it 'wrong'!!!

poor little DS he is sneezing constantly, coughing in between those and now he has vomitted his lunch poor little monkey.

DH is on his way back now and we are onto Madagascar and after that it will be the arsenal match. i had planned to take DS to the winter wonderland thing at 'Conkers' but i have to say apart from it being sad he is so ill, i am quite enjoying a day snuggled up with him on the sofa.

Congratulations to lal and TYV, more exciting news.

I'm with the bad lazy mums, my DH has taken DD out to a local play centre to get her away from Grumpy (me). Ugh, this weather. But at least I can pretend I would go out if the weather is better (which I probably wouldn't given I can hardly walk). Might be time for a romcom, methinks...

Hello, congrats to tyv and lal

I've been lurking but being a misery guts and not posting. Dh is finally home from all his work travels thank god as ds spent the week going from bad to worse with sleep (ending on sleep for an hour, scream for an hour...fun) and I was not amused! Of course last night with daddy home he slept all night and is now napping!

I have the birth pool, dh has made the cot, everything is ready. The baby is spending most of its time very low, feels like I'm breaking its neck when I bend over but it still bobs out sometimes.

Natural inductions methods are a load of balls I think, I tried everything going last time and got nowhere! Well, I walked a lot, had a lot of sex, ate curry, took cohosh, twiddled nipples. Didn't take castor oil as spending labour on the loo with the runs didn't appeal, nor did eating 7 pineapples in a row. This time I shall be mostly eating chocolate on the sofa.

congratulations to lal and TVY hope all went well and you are enjoying your babies now.

also good luck tomorrow chutney and wednesday katie (i think - sorry i find it really difficult to keep up with names!)

i finally managed to sort my room out yesterday, well moved the several boxes that need to go into the loft out of our room onto the landing, set up moses basket and changing bag and gave evrywhere a really good clean. So kind of feel ready to give it birth. Although i could still do with cleaning the rest of my house from top to bottom and wrapping all my xmas presents, but will make a bash at that from tomorrow!

Anyone who has applied for maternity allowance, did it take long to get sorted? Ive not applied for mine yet but again hoping to next week.

Have a lovely sunday everyone xx

Oh and erm, I'm another one with no secret stork yet, just in case the Post Office are being their usual efficient selves.

Glad to know the one I sent has arrived though Do we do a big reveal when it is all done?