Due in Jan 2009 - 3 have popped, Christmas is coming and we're all fed up with this pregnancy malarky, bring on the babies!!

[LenniEd]

flippyflop - well I guess there aren't many male mws so it was unexpected but as I've said, was not an issue for me. I wonder, if he had been more hands-on, if it would've been more so? I suppose a difference between the medics and mws is that I (expect to) spend more time with a mw, so it is a potentially more personal sort of relationship and I suppose gender might have a part to play in that?

Lenni - he was young, in his 30s I reckon.

Hi, wandered off to watch Casualty and am now avoiding bed. Bedtime makes me stressed.

gtdacp I bought a maternity tankini so I can wear the top in the pool. Three main reasons are, because I definitely don't want to be naked, a tshirt would get saturated and cold very quickly and I will definitely need some support for my ridiculously over sized chest!

Who mentioned cake? Have just demolished half a battenburg single handedly and am feeling decidedly guilty about it, as I bought it as a treat for the boys. Ah well. That's what happens when there's no chocolate in the house and they've plenty of christmas sweets etc left over so they'll cope!

Thanks Moosemamma for the sweep info and advise

About the male midwife bit - I also think that midwives aren't seen as entirely 'paid health professional'. We all put alot of faith and hope in our midwife, faith they think we are the most important mum and baby in the world, and hope they can somehow help us get the experience we crave from birthing/feeding/and so on. In our general experience the majority of midwives are female and we imagine this closer relationship to be easier with another woman.

I don't think we think of Dr's in the same way - a bit like at school you never thought your teacher had a house or own kids. So it doesn't come into it if they are male or female as it almost doesn't matter, perhaps more a 'give me your opinion and then I'll go' relationship.

I've known 3 male midwives who were all complete gems, the most empathic and sympathetic on the unit sometimes! They are fully cool with being 'declined' in labour. In the majority of caases though, we as women in labour or with bf difficulties could just sense a person who could help and had a lovely way about them.
I know the most important thing to me in my midwife is that s/he is just nice to me!! How small and squashy is that!!??

Moose know what you mean. Bed is a place where I try to be quite and not wake anyone whilst rolling about bored!!

Last night slept OK till a cat and dd1 joined dh and me. Just not enough space counting me as a whale!!

Well....anxiety, fear, dehydration.....not too appealing!

My bubbs wild [just eaten tin of quality street and whole snack tray thing] and so wild movements starting the bh's.

Oh dog I know JUST the feeling. Such a drag as everyone else goes to sleep and have to worry about waking everyone. Tedious.

more midnight twinges here... these are very strong and difficult to ignore so am wondering whether this might be something after all!!

male midwife.... sorry but not for me . think everyone is different.

verity very pretty name. lets here some more nice ones... we are very stuck with middle names!

Owww...

good luck fourlittlefeet

Keep us posted when you can

Verity is lovely

that should have been hear.

thanks making.

yes still up! not following the guidelines for early labour where you should take some paracetamol and go back to sleep. These feckers are waking me every hour. grrr. just had some toasted bun and RLT to help them along.

Oooh you're still up FLF hope this is actually it this time.

I just woke up starving and had to get up and have some toast, suddenly starting to feel very uncomfortable, not any definable 'twinges' but just a bit different. I think the baby has properly engaged as suddenly found yesterday in town I couldn't walk properly as there felt like so much pressure down below.

Verity is lovely. I also love Dylan but DH not keen. At the moment we have Oliver and Owen although i'm not totally sure about either of those, I also love Harry but again DH not that keen, and although i'm not wild about the name James for some reason I can just imagine cuddling up to a little James so maybe that is it. We are going to decide once we meet him.

hmm yes nappy bin is a matter of choice - personally I found it fantastic to just chuck the nappy in a bin in the middle of the night, give it a twist and it's sealed and done.....
wouldn't be without one!

BIL and SIL in the other camp - nappy sacks only.... "what on earth do you need that for" etc....

With me it was an ease factor, when I was tired and it was the middle of the night it was just really easy to bung it in the bin rather than find a nappy sack open it, tie it etc....

PS the absolute best thing I bought was a dimmer switch for babys room! keep the lights really low when feeding in the middle of the night and neither you or baby wake up too much!

hi all

i have nappy bin it is great great for sealing away those stinky nappies.

good luck to anyone having twinges

i am 38.5 weeks today

off to town to adams this morning

Morning - dreadful night, looks like I'm not alone there

Not a nappy bin person myself, but then I'm not a disposables person generally (although DD in them now due to nappy rash problems) so my kind of nappy bin is the one by my washer. We try not to use nappy sacks unless out and about - added layer of plastic just means they have absolutely no hope of ever degrading. Can understand the convenience though, matter of personal choice.

FLF - hope you are either snug in bed or have baby in arms. Surely had to be labour this time. I hope so.

I have to say nappy bins do divide parents into those who buy everything and those who buy nothing!!! I thought it was a great convenience...

lennied what reusables did you use? I'm tempted...

FYM - will answer that question properly for you later - chasing DD round room with clothes at mo. Short answer is I've tried lots and like quite a few and don't like others. They are definitely worth a go though (imo anyway ) especially early on when baby is only in sleepsuits and isn't doing weaned poo and you don't get the 2 issues that put some people off which are dealing with poo and the nappies being bulky in clothes. We had DD in them from about 6 weeks to about 15mo so must have saved a lot of money in that time. Unfortunately she has nappy rash issues (even in disposables she gets nappy rash very easily) so we have only been able to use them on and off for the last 9 months but I've got her in them daytime at the moment and fingers crossed all well so far.

As I say I'm tempted but don't want the hassle of trying out all the brands!

As I say I'm tempted but don't want the hassle of trying out all the brands!

Oh dammit... I can't resist a bit of nappy talk and she's started making pretend cups of tea for her sheep so what the heck. Clothes can wait

Have tried:
Shaped nappies (the ones that look like a regular nappy, no assembly required, just put a wrap over the top to waterproof)
Swaddlebees Velour
Bambineos (were called something else then tho, name escapes me)
Tots Bots
Motherease Sandys
Thirsties
P'tit Dessous Bios
Ellas House Bumhuggers
Kissaluvs

Pocket Nappies
Swaddlebees
P'tit Dessous

erm... sure there are more...

Anyway, I am a lover of baby clothes so prefer slimemr nappies during the day. My faves are Motherease Sandys, Swaddlebees and P'tit Dessous which I use with Motherease Airflow wraps. I am a popper fastening person too, simple and no getting velcro stuck together/worn out in the wash.

Have never got on with pocket nappies.

At night I use a boosted thirstie or bumhuggers/kissaluvs. I like her to be in fleece lined nappies overnight cos of the nappy rash.

If you decide to give it a go then let me know and I'll do lots of links to info for you. You might also be able to get money from your council to start you off. Think we got a £45 voucher when DD was born.

OOoooo, how I love to talk about nappies....

Are you a baby clothes person FYM or are you not that fussed?

TotsBots are a good all rounder that most people seem to get on with. As are Motherease. They have also been around forever so always able to sell on if you find you don't like them.

Think FLF is a nappy person too, and am sure there are others... combined between us we can probably narrow it down for you so you only need to try one or two. But I warn you in advance, nappies are addictive! They are so cute and fluffy and make their little bums all snuggly. A real nappy bum is perfectly huggable.