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

[SmuttyNuttyTaff]

here, that was close

Juwesm, that is excellent!

It is machinery, after all. That is surely man territory, like washing the car.

It's like that old 'logic' puzzle: father and son in horrific car accident. Father pronounced dead on scene, son taken to hosp for emergency surgery, surgeon walks into theatre and announces "I can't operate, that's my son!". Shock! But father is dead! How can boy be son of surgeon? Ah, silly us, assumed surgeon was a MAN!!!!

I had a call on my mobile (in my name, I pay the bill) from our loan company asking to speak to Mr Bronze. I said can I ask whos calling please and what its regarding thinking it was only fair as they had rung me. They told me the company so I knew it was the loan people but quite rudely said that they could only speak to DH as it was in his name. The loans in both his names. So I basically told them no they couldnt they had rung my phone and I was joint with DH so they hung up on me. Since then they ring every coupld of days then hang up when I answer.
Seriously pissed off with them.

Springy - so glad you got to see someone who at least listened to you and spoke sense. Even if it wasn't ideal.

To be honest I wouldn't worry that much about having a C-section v. water birth. I was really hung up on it when I was pregnant with DD but then when I was hospitalised at 35 weeks with unexplained bleeding I re-evaluated my thoughts and figured that the only thing that mattered was getting the baby out safely. In the end I got my water birth anyway, so all's well that ends well. But it made me less precious about it.

And while we're all sharing what we are eating, I'm having a cup of raspberry leaf tea and a hazelnut & choc-chip cookie. Mmmm.

Washing machine repair - blue job.
Use of washing machine for laundering of clothes - pink job.

If left to blue team, all types of clothes get shoved in together regardless of white/ light/ bright/ dark. This may just be poor training on my part.

I think calling them back is a bit of a waste of time, because clearly it's just going to be one sexist silly woman, rather than an organisational policy, methinks??

Even the Boff can fight on too many fronts at once, and the John Lewis lady was very nice and helpful, and sorted me out.

Boffin, my family history appears to apply to first babies only. I don't know what it is that causes it, but of the 3 generations I know of:

I (first baby) was born after 3 days of my mum being 2cm dilated (at 40+8) & lots of prodding & induction. I was almost a CS baby, especially after her waters were broken & found to be meconium stained, with my heartrate taking 30+ seconds to return to normal after each contraction.

My mum (first baby) & grandma both nearly died during my grandma's labour (my granddad was actually asked who he wanted them to save) with a very similar thing, including an emergency ambulance transfer from the hospital to a bigger, specialist hospital, ending in an emergency CS.

My great-grandma lost her first baby (my grandma's brother) after what seems to have been almost identical circumstances again - although this is obviously quite a while ago (late 20s, I think) & not really talked about given the outcome.

I'm not sure about before that, but it doesn't look good. At least next time should be easier

I may have accidentally eaten whole large bag (160g) of thai sweet chilli Sensations. Approx 40g fat. Oops.

I've just seen last thursday's Waterloo Road and am in tears. I want DD home now so that I can give her a cuddle and protect her!

Reverse in our house.

Washing of clothes: Blue job, scientifically done with 12 carefully colour co-ordinated loads with 3 things in each. Guidance still needed on suitable washing powders, stain removal, etc.

Maintenance and repair of machinery, including abortive installation attempt on day of delivery, draining pump regularly to remove coins and small stones collected by DS1 and DS2, and cleaning out powder tray when all gummed up: Pink job

Something has gone wrong here.

Aaaaaah - Juwesm you need to interest your blue team in the 'functionality' of your appliances.

I let my DH run amock lately and choose are new vacuum cleaner. It's butch, black, bastard-heavy and it has functions with 'turbo' options and comes with warnings about the 'extreme suction power' plus a kit bag that looks like a Black & Decker drill case for all the assorted attachments. DH luuuuuuurves it. So DH does lots of hoovering .

I have also allowed him to select our new washing machine, so when we move back into our house I fully expect to do a lot less laundry.

I'm not that bothered about the CS / labour thing per se. I don't have hippy visions of managing without even gas & air & angels singing as I bond with the baby as he passes out of my vagina. It'd be nice, but I'm not that hung up on it. I'm expecting it all to be barbaric & ugly with lots of screaming & swearing.

The main problem I have the the CS issue is the recovery period afterwards. That & the idea of labouring indefinitely before being rushed in to have my tummy slashed open. Either way, I just want a healthy baby. But I wish it were easier!

Blimey Springy, have you considered elective cs???? Seriously?? Raspberry leaf tea and a bit of semen ain't going to do the job here at all IMO.

In our house anything to do with the washing machine except the initial plumbing in is a pink job. Including turning upside down takeing apart and fixing.

LOL Boff!

Ironing is very much a blue job in this household. There are some benefits to being married to a soldier and it's not just his uniform

Boffin, it's clearly that silly title you've gone & got yourself - don't you know that doctors are only men? No wonder you're all confused about your laundry.

LuLu, excellent tactic

I feel sorry for Springys cervix here its getting a bad press.Its doing what its supposed to do for now its other things that arent behaving. Her cervix may be saying I'll hang on til its time then you bugger contractions can do what you bloody well want

Boff, I'm not sure how the whole elective CS thing goes. I know that if I was able to pay for private healthcare I could do the whole 'too posh to push' (!) type thing, but on the NHS...?

Swaliswan, my dad used to be in the army (before I was born) & even now won't let my mum iron any of his shirts because she can't do it properly

Yup Swaliswan - ditto that. My DH used to be in the navy and the quality of my ironing would never pass 'captains rounds'. DH does it much better himself so I leave it to him (I also recently let him choose our new iron - yes it has all sorts of macho functionality and he is very happy).

I tried to remove powder drawer yesterday, to degunk, and could not get it out! I am such a girl (or possibly, a man!)!!

DH is pretty technologically capable, very impressed with his recent installation of new radiator, but am always apprehensive about his tinkering with anything with electrics in it after nearly setting fire to car trying to install new stereo.

bronze, absolutely - at the moment it's doing a fabulous job. I'm just concerned that it won't stop & will in fact make things very, very difficult for me. All things being equal, I should've been dilating on Saturday. Obviously I'm glad that I wasn't, but it's certainly been tougher than the average cervix so far.

'Nearly setting fire to' = there was smoke, and melting of wires, just no flame.

Springy, just insist on seeing the consultant and discussing it with him/her. Plenty of people have elective cs on NHS for medical reasons like yours.

30 hours in labour with no dilation is no fun. I have seen this happen.

They assumed someone with the title DR was a MAN

Springy I think the 'too posh to push' thing is confusing. If there is a medical reason for it, you can have a planned c-section on the NHS (as opposed to an emergency one) and that seems to be what the mw was saying. My SIL has had to have 2 planned c-sections for different reasons.

As for the recovery period -well you will need a recovery period after a vaginal birth too. Childbirth, whatever way you do it takes some recovering from .

P.S. - love your image of hippy birth with angels singing. Made me chuckle out loud.