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Due April 2009: Episode 16 - BB's magical cervix dust prevents birthing. But Barbarellys Babies are here !

1000 replies

SmuttyNuttyTaff · 02/03/2009 16:42

here, that was close

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
LuLuBai · 03/03/2009 15:32

Kitty I actually found a 1 bed flat with a newborn worked pretty well. Everything was easily to hand. No need for a baby monitor. Less space to clean and I wasn't carrying a baby up and down stairs all the time.

Our house now is on 3 floors and we look back fondly on the days of horizontal living!

LuLuBai · 03/03/2009 15:33

Swaliswan! Don't tell me stuff like that. Didn't someone also say that maternity pads were on offer in Sainsburys too.

Now I'm just going to have to get me to a branch of Sainsbury's aren't I!?

Swaliswan · 03/03/2009 15:36

Living in a flat is very practical with a baby/toddler except for when other people are making noise and wake the baby. I never have to worry that I've left something upstairs and it is really easy for DD to have her toys in her room and go and fetch them when she wants without them cluttering up the lounge all the time.

KittyCatIsGettingFat · 03/03/2009 15:36

Aaah thanks Lulu you've made me feel much better... I was so worried about the space issue, both from a home birth and a post-birth perspective but i can definitely see your point re stairs and cleaning!

Off to Sainsbury's now - need maternity pads too...

Swaliswan · 03/03/2009 15:37

I bought loads of maternity pads in mothercare yesterday. Sainsburys used to do lovely ones that were ultra soft and had wings but they don't sell them anymore.

LuLuBai · 03/03/2009 15:39

yup - much easier to tidy toys and to keep an eye on the lo, and of course less hazards in the form of stairs to fall down. DD has fallen down stairs twice at our place. Luckily she was OK but it was really heart stopping.

BoffinMum · 03/03/2009 15:40

Oh
My
God!

This was my conversation with the John Lewis repair people, who are apparently a company called Marsh.

Me: Hello, my washing machine is broken, please can you come and fix it? It is still under guarantee.
Them: What is your address please?
Me: Boffin Towers, BoffinLand, etc etc.
Them: Is your husband there?
Me: Why?
Them: Because the policy is in his name so we can't talk to you.
Me: But it's my washing machine, I paid for it.
Them: Well the policy is in his name so we need his permission to discuss the washing machine with you.
Me: But how can it be in his name if I bought it? And anyway, how do you even know I have a husband?
Them: Well the policy is in his name so if you want us to do anything we will have to speak to him directly.
Me: Are you for real? Is this 1950? Do you want me to go to the Daily Mail about this? Are you telling me you won't talk to me about my washing machine because you will only talk to a man????
Them: Well you will have to get him to ring us because it is in his name.

Only when I put the phone down I realised the women on the other end of the phone had assumed Dr BoffinMum would be a man because of the title 'Doctor', and assumed I was just the little wifey, because I was a woman and could not possibly therefore be a Doctor, so the policy would not be in my name.

!!!

LuLuBai · 03/03/2009 15:41

Struth Boffin. Tis outrageous.

KittyCatIsGettingFat · 03/03/2009 15:42

OMG Boff that is insane!!!! Call her back and give her hell!! I cannot believe that anyone could be so sexist... Want me to kick some bottom for you???

BoffinMum · 03/03/2009 15:42

I am awake, aren't I??
We haven't been taken over by the Taliban while I was on hold??

LuLuBai · 03/03/2009 15:44

Boff - you in one of those time travelling films and have gone back to the 50s. Now get back to polishing your modcons and preparing for that tupperware party. There's a good girl.

KittyCatIsGettingFat · 03/03/2009 15:45

Not as far as I know - but then I am ONLY a pregnant wife, so what do I know... at stupid old-fashioned sexist pigs

BoffinMum · 03/03/2009 15:45

I actually rang John Lewis directly and told them what had happened. They said I shouldn't have rung that number anyway, it was an old one, and they would sort everything out for me with Service Force who are apparently the people who actually come and do the repair (Marsh are the repair insurers, if that makes any sense). They have arranged for someone to come out on Thursday as a priority visit.

The thing is, normally I would make a fuss and complain, but who the hell do you complain to??

SpringySunshine · 03/03/2009 15:46

That Kiddicare site is exciting! Ooh! I think I've found my afternoon's entertainment whilst DH is out.

I'm also excited because my dad's probably going to visit me tomorrow & I'm going to con him into driving me somewhere for a free lunch (I'm sure it counts as bedrest if I'm only walking to & from a car ), so yaaay.

I'm in a much better mood because I've just seen the good MW I'm a bit in love with. It's the 3rd time I've seen her (unheard of around here!) & I wasn't meant to see her this week but another MW, but the other MW is ill or something, so I got her. & she's so good. She's a proper old school MW who's like a spare mum. LOVE her.

Anyway, I whined about how crap the hospital were & she was very sympathetic & offered to take a physical description of The Bitch so she could rough her up She was most concerned that I'd be put off getting in touch with triage again because of the rudeness (underestimating my thick skin), but also said, off the record, not to bother going to hospital if I don't want to unless I feel I need pain relief due to the various factors. Technically I should still be in hospital now & obviously that's not what I want.

She's booked me in to see a MW (not her, unless she's covering a shift again ) every week for the next 3 weeks (I'll be full term by the last appointment!) to keep an eye on things.

She also said that they really were contractions, having listened to my description of what'd happened & feeling my bump as it happened - they're not just BH, which I knew, but it feels so good to have it medically agreed! & she listened to my 3 generations of family history regarding useless cervical dilation & said that it was very relevant & should've been put in my notes, not just dismissed. On that point, she was also irritated by the lack of information in my Maternity Care Record notes (the hospital haven't put anything in them) & that I was never given an identity bracelet. It just doesn't instill faith in the system at all.

We had a mini discussion about birth plans, but she said not to think about it at the moment because there are too many things up in the air. She reckons that based on family history / my experience, I may well end up in hospital having very strong contractions (worse than Saturday's) with little - no cervical effacement / dilation at all. At which point, if I'm 37+ weeks, they'll want to induce me as opposed to stopping effective contractions at term. She says that I don't have to go along with that, but that it's worth coming to terms with the idea that I may want to elect to have a CS instead of having several days of pointless labour followed by an emergency CS anyway.

I'm not thrilled about it, but she wasn't saying that it will happen - just that I need to consider it & we'll see how things go over the next 3 weeks. I'm quite happy with the outcome of this afternoon. I feel like a medical professional has actually paid attention to me & given me a realistic idea of what may happen from this point, whilst not trying to send me into a blind panic. She talked to me like an adult & not as if she was telling off a child, or trying to protect me from the scary possibilities. So even though it wasn't entirely good news (I want a lovely birthing pool experience, not a CS!), I feel a lot more positive because at least it's not so unknown!

BoffinMum · 03/03/2009 15:47

I am putting my burka on as we speak.

Juwesm · 03/03/2009 15:47

I've only been gone an hour and the whole website has changed!! Entire thread shows on one page now instead of multiple. Or have I changed a setting?

Thinking about maternity pads (gloom) really brings a person back down to Earth. How many should I acquire, approx? I've just got one pack of Mothercare ones for now.

I've got lots of Walkers Sensations if anyone wants any - I won them at poker . Crispy right hand results in left-hand only typing though, which is slow.

bronze · 03/03/2009 15:49

Boffin

I would call back that line anyway just to make a point

Springy glad you have a supportive mw. I agree its nicer having an idea whats going to happen even if its not your first choice

SpringySunshine · 03/03/2009 15:51

Boffin, Sky are exactly the same about talking to the policy holder, no matter who's paying for it, etc. It's most annoying. But the assumption about the title of doctor... That's more than a bit !

Swaliswan · 03/03/2009 15:52

Springy, did the MW say if there was anything you could do to encourage your cervix to dilate at the appropriate time?

SpringySunshine · 03/03/2009 15:52

I am currently eating 2 hard boiled eggs & a packet of salt & vinegar crisps. Ahhh, pregnancy.

BoffinMum · 03/03/2009 15:52

Springy, I am so pleased the lovely mw has finally given you the medical attention you deserve.

Can you not plead with her to take you on herself as a special project or case until the end of the pg, as you really need her in the cicumstances? She can only say no.

Also some women in your ancestry must have had opening cervixes in labour or else you wouldn't biologically be here, surely??

KittyCatIsGettingFat · 03/03/2009 15:53

Yay Springy - your lovely MW sounds fantastic!! Isn't it amazing how much difference it makes when you're treated like a person, and not a patient...

Juwesm · 03/03/2009 15:54

Aha. Was cos I was logged out.

Boff - that is just brilliant! What a world!! Did you not feel the need to do "hang on a moment.....'darling, could you come to the phone please'........'Hello This is Mr Dr Boffin, sorry the little woman is troubling you about these manly matters...women eh?' ".

SpringySunshine · 03/03/2009 15:55

I did ask her, but she said that there's little that you can do if huge contractions aren't working. She said that sex is obviously the main thing, but will also ramp up contractions (who'd have thought? ), so not really useful in my case. It's so frustrating that my body is this reluctant to cooperate. It doesn't like having the baby in there, as has been demonstrated by months of sickness & so on, but it also refuses to ever let him out without medical intervention, it seems.

Oh well. At least I'm beginning to get a firmer idea of where I stand with it all.

KittyCatIsGettingFat · 03/03/2009 15:55

tee hee Ju... there's a mental picture...

Boff - have you called them yet? I'm dying to know what excuse they give you for that shocking behaviour!!

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