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]

morning

nat

looks like we are both being seen on tuesday.
hoping they book me in for csection @ 38-39 weeks.
this baby is not in a comfortable position

all info about contractions is useful. i managed to relax and breath through them tried to go into a different head space when having them and also used dhs stress ball which really helped

gtdacp - take carex

kittenpaws - good luck for mon

we are finally able to take dd out of the house so going to go into town

I feel for you Tink, the few times this one has gone transverse is not my idea of fun, and he is only small! I think it is likely to be 39 weeks, unless they have a medical reason to get her out sooner. They like to give them as much time as possible for them to get in the right position.

For all you ladies who are talking about relaxing when having contractions, something thats helping me visualise how to do that is my Hypnobirthing book.... Definatetly recommend. Don't know whether its going to work,but it sure has taken any fear of labour away!

Still bloody poorly, moved onto the cold now.

Tink- sorry baby is transverse. Was DD in this position too?

NJ - So excited for you that the finish line is in sight!!

Spink your poor little boy. I have earache too (nowhere near as bad though) so am sending much sympathy and healing vibes!

Tree downstairs has gone a bit frazzled round the edges since everyone came home from work and school last night, but am on top of it - not letting it get that bad again!

Was offline last night as trying to catch up on wrapping boys presents, made good headway then ran out of paper! Mum delivering an emergency wrapping paper parcel sometime this morning so should be able to carry on tonight.

Had the worst night last night, woke up feeling really breathless, just couldn't get air into my lungs, also really nauseaus, top of bump agony and very painful in pelvis (knew I did too much yesterday). Tried getting up and walking around, going to toilet, moving to sofa but nothing worked so ended up sitting in the dark whimpering and crying pathetically instead . Then DH finally woke up and grumbled at me, but was very good, got me a drink of hot chocolate and some paracetamol and rubbed my back for all of two minutes before falling asleep again. Eventually fell asleep a couple of hours later but really fitful and disturbed and neither of us could get up this morning despite DS1 coming in every 10 minutes from 6 onwards.

Daren't even hope that all that kerfuffle was madam turning as have been fooled before, will have to wait and see what they say on Monday morning. Still feel exceptionally bruised across the top of my bump this morning so there was definitely something going on.

I found going into hospital a really unwelcome interruption to labour last time too. Was really relaxed and sort of enjoying it up to that point. That's why I wanted a home birth this time - ah well, best laid plans and all that!

It was helpful to sort of welcome each contraction as another one over and done with and making sure I was upright and mobile for each one really seemed to help to reduce the pain as well. (Put tens on as soon as labour started as well and that definitely helped.)

cheers ray no dd1 was head down

mm - sorry for bad night

Hi ladies, thanks for the advice on when to go in and all of the advice on coping with contractions, it is really useful. I don't have any experience of even coping with bad pain but I like the idea of thinking it as something that is productive and brings me one step closer to meeting my baby.

No sign for qumps, or have I missed her? We could have another early baby announcement soon!

Good luck NJ and kittenpaws.
Sorry Tink baby hasn't turned, fingers crossed moosemamma that yours has too.

afternoon ladies

hi miss h - hope that u r well

we have been in town was gr8 to finally beable to take dd out of the house now that all of chickenpox spots have scabbed. she chose a book in waterstones then we had lunch in our pub, bought dd some school uniform in adams sale she starts next sept. it was all half price. bought a grey pinafore dress,short grey skirt, short sleeved white blouse with hearts on,pack of white shirts with collars. got all in age 3 years as dd is tiny for age only wears 18-24 month clothes @ the mo
dd had a great time being able to get out and about.

Glad you got out Tink You sound positive about the section. Are you happy with it all?

Sorry to those of you having the niggly labour pains and am i am i not in labour moments. It does drive you mad.

Tree i can't believe you are atill working shifts my back used to hurt normally let alone with a huge bump to contend with! I hope the money issues are not bringing you down too much, it must be awful having so much on your plate when all you want to do is relax and have a nice Xmas and a BABY!!!

I had a little fit of the cleaning kind this morning and cleaned the bathroom with wire wool, cif and zoflora. I then moved on to the bedroom and cleaned our sink and window sills wiped down all the surfaces with zoflora and made the baby's crib up. I washed all her clothes Friday too and all her blankets today. Nesting moi???!

I just feel restless. I am 37 weeks on Monday and the midwife is bringing the HB kit round. We are away Tuesday so need to pack the car up with all the childrens stuff and her stuff should she arrive while we are away

I am ready but not in my head ifykwim. New Year is fine but not before.

Are anyone elses children absolute loony's atm? Mine are bonkers. They are charging round happy one minute and sulking grumpy beasts the next! The excitement is too much i think

lvb&t your children sound just like mine, either completely hyper and over-excited or fighting like cats and dogs. Poor old DS2 can't keep up really and keeps going all sort of pale and wan after his more exuberant moments.

DH had been attempting to sort all the things we have stored in what will be the nursery while I supervise from the bed in our room . Its so frustrating not being able to do it all myself - he is just soooo slow, a lot of time spent with hands on hips or scratching head or beard and very little progress.

Got my little old lady dog back this morning and promptly dunked her in the bath and frontlined her (tends to pick up fleas at ILs thanks to their two cats). She was really pleased to see me, which was lovely, but attempted to turn and run back to the car when she saw the kids!

Getting the other two dogs back tomorrow, but have provisionally booked them back into kennels over new year in case c-section goes ahead. They definitely won't want to come home, having had 3-4 walks a day and loads of treats, fuss and cuddles from the kennel staff over the past two weeks. DH said the kennel owner has a litter of puppies at the moment - I have warned him not to even look! There is definitely no room at this inn!

Have absolutely no clue which way up this baby is now, feels like hands and feet everywhere and can't tell head from bottom at all! Wish she'd sit still for five minutes though, is driving me nuts with all her wriggling about today!

lg yep getting used to the idea of a c section now as had 2nd degree tear with dd1 couldnt move around for ages
nesting is annoying isnt it i keep tidying up every last thing hate anything out of place like u said am restless.
my dd is excatly the same all over the place 2
mm - gets pets back sounds good
this one has been driving me mad the transverse position is so uncomfortable

ray sorry to hear you're still feeling rough - great though to get it out of the way now, means you're not due another cold/flu for a while and will be fit and healthy for labour and first few weeks with bub at least!!

lvb&t I know what you mean about being ready practically but not in your head - we would be prepared, mostly, if baby came now, but no no no I need more time!!! When I think that, should this one be early like ds I would have a baby in a week, it makes me go a bit cold and goosebumpy. I just can't imagine having a newborn in our little family at all, yet.
I'm 37 weeks Monday too - seeing my mw too - but they don't bring the hb kit round, here, til you're actually in labour. Which is just as well - I think if I had a pile of birth stuff here I might start to hyperventilate!

Thanks everyone for being lovely about ds and his poorly ears. He is so much better, maybe the antibiotics did their job or he was through the worst anyway, but it is lovely to see little bits of his normal self poking through. Makes for a much easier life too

hi spink

glad ds is getting better

hi everyone,
sorry i do not post anymore.i do read when i can though.DH now working at home and using the pc a lot,and then when he's not,i'm too tired to be bothered.Sick to death of this pregnancy..Got polyhydramnios,which means i now measure at least 41cm at only 36+3,and i may not go full term.If i can't cope,they may offer induction at 37/38 weeks(sorry those that don't know,it's excess amniotic fluid).Had 5 scans in total(another one coming up on Christmas eve.Had umpteen tests including GTT,but no reason found for condition.Also had nightmare chest infection and another virus just now,so sympathies to all you lot who are unwell too.Such a bugger when you're pg isn't it.DD keeps being ill too.Another one with earache and crying in her sleep just now.
We need a big eraser for the lot of us don't we,to erase ourselves out and draw a fresh person(what my mum always used to say).
Congrats to the ones with babies already and good luck to those about to pop.
Just to share,i saw midwife yesterday,who recommended Schweppes tonic water for restless legs(chemical Quinine in it supposed to help).Tried it last night...no leg trouble.Tried it tonight.No twitches so far.Will let you know how i get on.Having a small can each night.
hope you all feel better/brighter soon,and hope it's in time for Xmas.take care.
happy and her baby boy(who is estimated to be 7lb odd already!)...original due date was 14th Jan(didn't change it on list) x
ps/relaxing during pain deffo helps.I've tried breathing in deep to a count of 3 and out to a count of 3 and even saying the word in my head re(on the in breath)....lax(on the out breath)....breathing and sort of meditation in one.I do them for bad braxtons(yes they kill!) and also for a stinging pain i get under my bump when i cough sometimes(ligament/muscle i presume).
I'm also taking lavender essential oil in to hospital to sniff on a tissue in labour.No idea if any good but midwife said some do use it.
Thanks for all your good ideas,inspiration,support and sharing,over the past 8 months too.

poor you happythorne that must be very stressful
my baby is transverse lie so having a scan tues

treedelivery - thanks for the excellent advise on delivery and attitude towards birth and facing those contractions positively!

Oh my goodness, we're not having an easy time of it are we? Wonder if it's something to do with being heavily pregnant over the deepest winter/xmas? DS1 was a March baby, I loved his pregnancy, DS2 was a Decemeber baby (though due in Nov.) and his pregnancy was harder than DS1's but nothing compared to this one.

Have got major anger issues today, and I don't even know why, I can't even blame it on not knowing when it's all going to end because I do! I can just feel my blood boiling and am just waiting to explode, have pre-warned DH!

And a new thing today, my nose is bleeding constantly. Yuck!

NatalieJane totally agree that we seem to all be running out of steam! I don't remember my last pg being like this. dh and i had a big chat last night about how hard the last few months have been, and that being partly down to me struggling with this pg. He even said that he doesn't know if he would want three children as he's not sure he could put up with me being pg again if it is like this time!
Now I really want it to be over and to feel physically 'normal' again and meet this new person - but in the same moment want more time before it all happens!

good luck tink with scan.think mine was transverse a while ago and remember the discomfort,but must be bad when they get so big...hope LO turns for you.have hope,as my first pg was thought to be breech,went for scan and was actually engaged...so much for palpation...although DD could have cheekily turned night before scan.
NJ-i've had angry days...they're horrid...might be all the frustration building up i guess with our bodies and the wait.hope things better tommorow.
spink-most definately do not want 3 either...just know i couldn't have coped if i had a toddler to look after.DD(6),has been a bit neglected,so god help two + pg.

I am fed up too, have rotten cold and just want the baby to come now. I am now 37 weeks, finished with work, I have everything ready and finally packed my hospital bag. Now I'm just waiting for the baby to arrive. Weather here is all over the place - yesterday the high was 18 and the low was 10, today the high is 7 and the low will be -7. My body can't keep up, it doesn't know if it is summer or winter.
Tips for bringing on labour anyone?
Tink - my wee one was transverse until last Monday night. After a whole day of crazy movements she manged to get herself head down (confirmed at my scan last Tuesday), so there is some hope. I am much more comfortable now, she wouldn't let me sleep on either side when transverse but now she doesn't really give me too much trouble at night.

completey agree that his pregnancy has been alot more harder than dd1s too she was an aug baby.
is alot moretiring when you have a toddler to run around after cant rest as much.
will be glad when i have my baby in my arms, think that it will be much easier with a baby and a toddler rather than being pregnant with a toddler.
we have been getting things ready have just put up a new blind in our room as was moldy baby will be sleeping under it have velux windows.
have put bottles and sterilser in kitchen cupboard.
put toys on maxi cosi baby car seat.
did tesco last main shop this morning felt knackered and i have pulled right side by ribs again is really painful. did a big cough in bed
cheers for hope shanster saw midwife tues @ 36 weeks comfirmed transverse i am 36.5 weeks today. will bhe 37 weeks on tuesday.
just have a feeling that she ahs no room to turn. feels wedged tight.

Wow, a whole new thread and hundreds of messages to catch up on! Was hoping to get to the end and see an update from qumps -- sending you hugs and hope it's all going well.

Sympathy hugs to Shanster, givethedog, rray and all other ladies who are feeling poorly. Horrible time to feel ill.

Wow, I can't believe we are at this stage, where we're talking about contractions and how to ride them out rather than 12 week scans! Where did all that time go?! Gosh I am feeling really very emotional and hormonal, and can't seem to stop crying overwhelmingly excited but also anxious too - lots of worries about the baby being okay, and coping with life with baby etc OH is soooo relaxed, which is wonderful, but sometimes I worry that he doesn't know what's really going to hit us!

Anyway... have spent the last week in a whirlwind of packing, moving, unpacking and sorting, so am pretty exhausted - lots of BH contractions too. Our new house is lovely but needs lots of work - we need to get new curtains and buy furniture and it's all a bit of a massive task to face when there's xmas to get out of the way and then a baby imminent! I've given up for today and have retreated to my Mum's (hence the internet connection), and am tucked up in her bed trying to do some last minute online xmas shopping. And am going to order ALL the baby stuff we need from John Lewis online in a moment, I don't have the energy to shop around, and JL seems about standard price for everything anyway. So hopefully it will all arrive before the NY and I can relax a bit.

Am seeing a midwife on Tuesday - first time for over 3 weeks so am eager to find out baby's position etc - I keep imagining a 'dropping' sensation but to be honest my bump looks the same as ever (MASSIVE!) so I think he's still not engaged. Does anyone know, once they are engaged, should you stop having sex? I can't imagine it makes much difference, but just one more thing to worry about!

I had better stop typing before this message becomes unreadably long!

Sending you all good thoughts xxxx

Hi all,
I'm delighted to let you all know that baby Fraser arrived at 2.40pm on 17th December weighing in at 7lbs 2oz
Was taken into hospital on the Monday night and over a 36 hour period was given 3 doses of petocin gel to soften/ripen my cervix. Eventually on Tuesday night I was told I was 2cm dilated and I would be "induced" on Wednesday morning. Midwife broke my waters at 10am and as my contractions were not amounting to much, put me on the synotcinon drip at 11am. What followed was the most intense, yet wonderful, exhilarating experience of my life. I managed to get through the labour with only gas and air, which amazed me as I'm a complete wimp when it comes to pain. It's thanks to a truly wonderful midwife that Fraser was born quickly, with no further medical intervention (despite him being back to back), and left me without so much as a graze . I don't think I've ever had such a natural high.....for the next few hours all I could say was "I did it, I did it!"

Unfortunately, the baby's had some health problems which resulted in an extended stay in hospital and we only got home this afternoon. He's Coombs positive (due to my negative blood and his positive stuff) and has been on phototherapy for jaundice for a few days. We've to take him back to clinic on Boxing Day for a check up, but the prognosis is good - he'll have no long term health problems, we've just to keep him on a course of Folic Acid for a couple of months.

I feel so happy to be home today, and so blessed to have a wonderful family. I truly feel like my life is complete.

Congratulations HM!!! Fabulous story.