Due April 2009 - Saucy dreams, squirting boobs and spacehoppers. Whatever will the April mums get up to next?"

[PuzzleRocks]

I am having one of those days where I am really excited about the actual labour part of it and can't wait for it to happen! Just the wondering of what it will be like and how long will it last and where will it start etc etc! Obviously in 16 weeks time I will not be so excited, more petrified!

"I wonder what our birthing stories will be like in 3 / 4 months time!"

I know! I quite fancy a home birth TBH but its my first so I'm not sure if they'll facilitate it - We're gonna ask for one and see how it goes, I dont live too far from the hospital so if I had a HB I would be only mins away if things got difficult. I just dont fancy getting "I'm busy" shouted at me whenever I need anything (which in my experience, is hospital workers favourite phrase)

oops, posted before I was finished, meant to add: at least if I get thirsty or cold at home my husband would get me some water / a blanket. I'd hate to stay overnight with the staff all grumbling about how many night shifts they've got left to go till they have a day off and resenting me for asking for anything

i'm still slightly tempted by the home birth - but at the same time, the labour room i was in was nice and while there was a midwife always around (and very nice midwives they were too) it wasnt too intrusive, and they did just let you get on with labouring until you got to the pushing stage, so now when i hear about women retreating into their own heads during labour I can understand what they mean.

wouldnt have wanted to be in hospital if people kept trying to monitor everything and poke me all the time but it wasnt like that at all.

and i agree salbysea - while the labouring part in hospital was good - i wasnt a big fan of the ward afterwards so will be pushing to get home early this time assuming everything goes ok.

I have an date for a tour of the maternity unit but its not until the middle of march, and I'd expect that we will have already been asked to decide where we wanna go by then. I have tried to bring it up at MW appointments but have always been told "we'll go into that later". I have expressed a strong preference against a particular hospital (2nd nearest) that I've heard horror stories about but she didn't document it in my notes. I think I would be fairly happy with my local hospital as all the stories I've heard have been positive and it seems like a nice calm midwife run unit, but I think I would definitely be the least stressed at home. Hospital environments reassure some people but not me.

yup - i'm a reassured by them sort of girl - possibly cause my dad is a doctor so we went to the little local hospital a lot as kids with him rather than associating them with illness iyswim.

Good thing about hb though is that you can change your mind right up to and including on the day, so you can still end up in hospital if for any reason you have a panic or decide against it, so in one way you cant lose by planning for a hb.

I am going to have a chat with my MW next time I see her and just go through my choices because I really don't want to stay in if at all possible! that will then influence where I decide to have it I think!

"Good thing about hb though is that you can change your mind right up to and including on the day, so you can still end up in hospital if for any reason you have a panic or decide against it, so in one way you cant lose by planning for a hb."

yes that's how I feel about it - I think for me its worth aiming for at least but if I NEED to go to hospital I will, I'm not an earth mother type who'll feel like a failure if I end up needing lots of drugs and a c-section. If things are going wrong then I think the hospital is the best place to be and I wont be an anti-intervention nazi. But if things are going okay I'd like to at least try to stay at home where I'll be most comfortable

Hello all

I've just had my 20 week scan and the baby looks ok. It took a while to see the back because it was in the wrong position. For me it was quite nice because I don't really feel pregnant, although I can feel it wriggling! It has made me feel that the whole thing is more real somehow if that makes sense...

I'm terrified of labour! Even though I have done it twice I don't feel any better about it.

Has anyone bought anything yet? I know it sounds silly but in April it is going to be cold, I expect but there will be no coats for babies in the shops so I'm wondering if I should get one now?

back from scan - all too much for me - back in bed!
Arrived early and met dh only to be told that we had the time wrong and were 1hr early - she was off for her lunch break. so we had lunch.
back and had scan but baby was in same position as last wednesday - sitting cross legged on my bladder, all folded over. she was very serious and had a good go at looking had me tilted upside down at 45 degress, but couldn't see the bottom half of spine - i am starting to get more worried now.
asked to drink 6 glasses of water - i drank 8 for good measure but then sat outside the room with severe bladder pain, so glad dh decided to stay to chase ds up and down corridor. i couldn't think of anything literally apart from the joy of just letting go and wetting myself.
asked back in just after I had given dh an ultimatum of 1 more minute before i wet myself. was joined by her consultant who did the scan - now i am thinking there is something wrong. baby had moved and....big pause...heart racing....everything fine
asked about sex and they both said they couldn't see anything so they thought it was probably as girl - need to adjust thinking as was sure was a boy but think I am happy, course I am just wasn't expecting it, so good to know our lo in healthy too.
Oddeyes 21+1

electra, yay for healthy lo, did you ask about the sex?
We had ds in march and just had a few outerwear sleepsuits, didn't venture out to much in march anyway and then was a really april i think and you are always filling the pram with blankets anyways.

Mar
25 Mar : Jumbs: DS 15 months
28 Mar : AlexandraPeppernose: DC no 3
29 Mar : Gemzooks: DS 1.9 then 2 m/cs, age 32, live in Holland
29 Mar : LittleMyDancing, DS 2.4 born on Easter Sunday
30 Mar : BabyBolat: 1st timer
31 Mar : Cosmogirl: 1st timer

Apr
01 Apr : Rachelinscotland: DD 2 years 10 months, and DS 18 months
01 Apr : Chickenbalti: DS 4 years DD 17 months
02 Apr : BoffinMum: BOY! dd(21) ds(10) ds(7)
02 Apr : MathsMummy27: GIRL! DD 3 years
03 Apr : skiingone: DC1
03 Apr : nzbabies: DS 21 months
03 Apr : purlease: 1 m/c, 1 DD 3 years
03 Apr : Kalikaroo: (28), 1st timer, lives in Scandinavia (but too shy to say where!)
04 Apr : mizzannie: first timer
04 Apr : Bumpalump: DS 2.2
04 Apr : babypringle: 1 DS 2yrs 1 month
06 Apr : ToastnHoney: first timer
06 Apr : Diddle: DS1 2yrs, DS2 10months 2mc's
06 Apr : PintofStella: DS 5.4
07 Apr : Bethdivine: DS 18mo
08 Apr : LuLuBai: 1 DD born 02 Apr 07
08 Apr : Pinkdolly: (age 27) dd 6, dd 5, dd 2, 1 m/c January 08
09 Apr : Oddeyes (30): GIRL!, 1 DS 17 months, 1 mc. London
09 Apr : Nigeltuffnell
09 Apr : Soundbites(30): DD aged 18 months
09 Apr : Barbarella: 1st timer, TRIPLETS
10 Apr : hopeful1
10 Apr : BinkyB(30): TWINS 1st timer, lives London
11 Apr : BellaMummy
11 Apr : Teeheeladyee
11 Apr : mrsfossil: 1 DS 6.5
11 Apr : Dungungirl(30): BOY! 1 m/c, DS 3.5 years
11 Apr : Bubbaluv: 1 DS 1yo
11 Apr : SpringySunshine: BOY! 1st timer.
12 Apr : daisycat01: DS 6yrs, DS 3yrs
12 Apr : Salstars (34), 1st timer
12 Apr : Brettgirl, 1st timer
13 Apr : April2009Baby:
14 Apr : girlylala0807:
14 Apr : AuldAlliance: DS3.8
15 Apr : claireykitten: DS 12 months
15 Apr : VixterB: first timer
15 Apr : Sarahmum: DS 10yrs
16 Apr : tristaleejac(25): 1 ds, 3 years
17 Apr : lou031205(28): DD age 2.8, DD age 1
17 Apr : Glaskhamhasoneintheoven: DC3, have one of each already.
18 Apr : mumsoon: DC1
18 Apr : minouminou(37): due April 18-19 (i think). 1 DS, 22 months
18 Apr : salbysea: (28) 1st timer
18 Apr : loobee: DS 22mths
19 Apr : gingersarah: 1st baby
19 Apr : Kittycat8 (29) 1st timer
20 Apr : v1kk1m: 1DD 5 months
20 Apr : MegBusset: DS 18mo
21 Apr : B52s: DS will be 2 and a quarter
21 Apr : Staryeyed
23 Apr : chloemegjess
23 Apr : katiepotatie
23 Apr : Reesie : DD 20 months
24 Apr : Surprisenumber3(32): DS1 9 DSS 9 DS2 4
24 Apr : PuzzleRocks: DD 19mths
24 Apr : Flirty: 1st baby
24 Apr : conkertree (26): DS 12 months
24 Apr : Bronze (Gawain) - 4th DC
24 Apr : Frekkles
24 Apr : EsmeWeatherwax (36) DD 17 months
24 Apr : SnoozyVic: first timer and semolina-monster
25 Apr : Swaliswan: DD 17 months
25 Apr : ReallyTired
27 Apr : Bicnod
27 Apr : Carameli
27 Apr : longlegted
27 Apr : SatHereSitting
27 Apr : purplemonkeydishwasher DS 3yo
28 Apr : Laulau27
29 Apr : lauralou1 1st DC
30 Apr : Nutty Taff 2nd DC

Oh Oddeyes that is good news - a DS and DD will be lovely. So glad DH could be there with you!

Electra - I am having inner battles as to the purchasing things - I did say I wouldn't buy anything until closer to the time but keep seeing so many beautiful things! I think I might wait until the sales in January and pick up a few winter-bits there!

Hi

Shopping for warm things - I bought a little Baby Gap bear suit with ears for DD (didn't know what I was having, so very gender neutral). But at 9.1 she was really too big for it. I sqeezed her into it once to leave hospital and it's been languishing at the bottom of a drawer ever since.

But anyway we had an extraordinary hot spell in April 07 so I had to go out and buy a couple of tiny sun suits and sun hats for her.

So in retrospect plenty of vests, babygros and blankets to layer up or down as need be would probably have made more sense.

Just found out that SIL has chucked out all her baby stuff, so if it is a boy there is nothing easily to hand.... - oh well.

Thanks NuttyTaff

Oddeyes - I did ask about sex - the sonographer thinks it's a boy, which is kind of exciting because I have two girls!

Hence the question about coats really as I have no boy stuff. Thanks for advice on that. January sales sounds like a good idea but I'm sure Boden will have sold out of everything grrrrrr

electra I'm thinking that when they're that little they'd be better off with blankets and layers than with one thick winter coat?

But I do admit that I really dont know very much about babies - this is all very new to me so I could be very wrong!

I don't think that I had a coat for DD until she was a bit older as she stayed snuggled under blankets if she needed them. I think that it was easier to use a fluffy sleep suit to begin with when she did need a coat.

I have a bit of a dilemma. I need to decide tomorrow whether I'm going to try and go back to work next week. I've been off work for weeks with hyperemesis and then because I kept on fainting. I'm still not feeling quite right but I do feel loads better. My blood test results came back all fine so there isn't an obvious reason for me to keep on fainting. I am having lots of good-enough days but some really bad ones inbetween. I can't stay off of work because I might have a bad day and at this rate I'm not going to get back to work before mat leave! I'm really fed up at home but I know how awful it is to feel ill at work and let people down. I don't especially want to go back incase it makes me feel ill again but that isn't a good enough reason to stay off either. Argh! What should I do?!

Oh, if it helps, I'm on my feet all day at work and don't have a job where I can just take it easy. I'm a healthcare assistant in a dermatology day unit so I run clinics and assist in theatre for skin surgery.

Swaliswan - what does your dr say? i don't think you should push yourself, you need to reserve the best of your energy for your DD. Being on your feet all day is only going to get harder too ...

Lulu - DD had that Gap bear suit too. Yet another coincidence.

Electra - when are you due? I will add you to the list.

Hi all, Thanks for adding me to list Puzzlerocks. I got xmas decs out of loft today and started also looking at DS old baby clothes...ahhh can't believe he was sooo small AND WE ARE DOING IT AGAIN ALREADY.