Due in June 2009: The final quarter - packing our bags and remembering to squuueeeeeeezzeeeee!..

[Ineedmorechocolatenow]

Here it is!

I thought I'd add that Dh said he doesn't really want to cut the cord, that's fine by me.
We have talked about where he wants to stand at the birth, whether he wants to see it happening or not. I'm not too bothered either way though I worry he might be put off afterwards.
The nct class is supposed to touch a little bit about the parents relationship dynamics after baby's born this week, that should be interesting. I really don't know what to expect.

I have not got any good pictures of me pregnant either which is a shame I really wanted to do a little montage month by month.

choccie I hope your sister gives birth soon! I bet she cannot wait, is she really uncomfortable?

Naat Hope your scan went ok and they decided to let you have the baby at the BC.

Right... tea, mini kitkat and back to work ;)

On the subject of DH / DPs during the birth, I could not have torn DH's attention away from the business end if I tried. He was completely fascinated and mesmerised by the whole thing, like yours choccie, he kept saying 'look, look' with this amazed look on his face. I was thinking, 'I can't f*cking look, I'm trying to push this baby out!'. He wasn't grossed out by any of it, cut the cord and everything.

I was so proud of myself afterwards for not pooing during the birth.... it wasn't until, while saying this to DH afterwards, he replied, 'Oh no, you did poo. It was only a little one though... ! He was totally unfazed..... Mind you, so was I at that point. We were too busy gazing at DS's little face....

Hi ladies!

Back from our scan. The LO looks big hahaha. Thank God her measurements are all ok, weight and length are perfect so I asked/begged the consultant to write down on my notes that I could give birth at the BC. Luckily she was lovely and told me that I was perfectly fine so no problem, she wrote it down. BUT she ordered another scan at 36wks, again, to check the weight and length! So we'll be visiting them again Anyway, thanks for all the good thoughts, Juners!

ermin at your LO getting meconium all over his daddy's arm.

DH is being so cool about it all, he's really hands-on, he wants to be part (luckily, if not HB wouldn't work that well), help, assist, etc... Let's hope he keeps feeling that way when D-day comes

Daisy I'm sooo tempted to book a photo session!!!!

laura to hear you're not feeling bad now. Keep snacking at regular intervals so as to keep your sugar levels and take some breaks to walk around and breathe some fresh air, as ermin (I think) said.

Anyway, back to work now. Dissertation is waiting!

x post!

Ineed at your DH's fascination.

ermin = lol re: poo on dhs arm.

ineed - that same thing happened to me!!! .

I was so proud of myself that I hadn't done a poo during the birth and when I mentioned it to dh afterwards he said "well actually you did a couple"!. Gross.

Just goes to show that we have no bowel control when you are told to push through your bottom.

Afternoon ladies!

Am fluctuating between satisfaction, seeing how much I have packed, and panic - how much stuff we have and how much there is to do before Friday morning! Its enough to drive a girl to ebay!

Bigcar - thanks for the link comparing hospitals. DH and I were talking the other night about how we need to be sure UCH is the best option, esp as we are moving further away from it. Now I am thinking Queen Charlotte or St Thomas.

Ladies - has anyone an opinion on Queen Charlotte or St Thomas over UCH? St Thomas "beats" UCH according to the Care Quality Commission. Not sure where Queen Charlotte stands.

Inneed and Choccie - ROFL (if I could actually roll these days...) at your stories - priceless!

I told DH he was NOT to head down the business end (I still expect him to perform his husbandly duties afterwards and afraid he would be put off... ). Then we attended ante natal classes and all of a sudden he is determined to watch (in his words!) baby "corksrew her way out". And he wants to cut the cord. I better read him some excerpts from this thread first!

Laura - to hear about your persistent fainting, and sorry that I don't have any tips for you.

Back to the packing, lucky I have a box of chocolates to keep me company . 1 box = 1 choccie. I am on fire!!

Afternoon all.

Got a letter fro AN clinic today saying I am anaemic and should take iron. It does not say how much or in what form, so annoying.

I will ring them tomorrow.

Anyone else having this problem?

Tee, how weird that they don't tell you how much to take?? I guess your ob will tell you what to do with that info.
I haven't got my blood results yet so I don't know whether I'm deficient in anything.

bunny These are all hospitals I'm meant to look at. I've booked into Ridgeway Birth centre but honestly not 100% sure I will go there. They are nice and everything, it's just the fact that I have to go to chase farm if anything happens. And now i'm really considering a water birth which the ridgeway are very into.

I went to UCH for a further scan to our 20w one and it looked brilliant, I think their maternity unit is all new. Another couple from my an classes is going there.
Have you visited it? (How old is the report?)

Ineed LOL @ your dh going "look, look". I am actually quite fascinated and wish I could see it instead of having to push!!!

Gosh, I guess I'd better ask dh if he really wants to cut the cord, I just kind of said you can cut the cord and that was it (my dad did it last time)! Lol. I definitely want him up at non business end unless he is desperate for the full gory experience, last time birth partners were sitting on the bed I was leaning on (kneeling) like ermintrude and would like something similar this time if poss. Although will be in living room this time as not so much floor space in bedroom.

Naat - Glad your scan went so well and good luck with your commentary. I'm feeling quite pleased as I've pretty much finished draft of dissertation now except conclusions; literature review, methodology and research results coming in at about 10,000 words. Lots of editing required but feels like it is coming together!

Ante natal yoga today, lovely as usual. One of the more exercise mad girls was complaining after about having to slow down (although she is still cross training, uphill walking, swimming and yoga-ing of course) and saying she just didn't know what to do with herself. I rather meanly thought, hmmm, why not try exercising your mind instead? I know some people love their exercise and fair play it is very important but she is still doing plenty and there are so many other things to do in this world!

Hey ladies my drs appointment today was in Oncology rather than Haematology so that rather freaked me out they kept me waiting 1hr 15 mins and then basically confirmed what I already knew plus gave me a piece of very useful advice?. To stop taking my heparin 24 hours before I go into labour no crystal ball supplied however, hey ho! I don?t have GD by the way, made her print the results off for me and they were in the normal range

Will catch up now before I do 10001 things I need to do but never get time to?

naat Glad your scan went well today
mrsmcjnr at hospital keeping you so long, but at least you now know you don't have GD.
tee shame you have anemia but strange they didn't advise you on how much extra supplement you need to take

Been laughing all day at the labour stories posted here on how DH's respond to what is happening esp ineed DH saying look look and ermins story about pooing on DH's arm Suppose I better find out if DH wants to cut the cord, I have told him under no circumstances is he to be at the business end of the 'action' but no doubt he'll have a look!
I rewrote my hospital bag list all i need to do now is buy the stuff i need.
I survived work today but the people are driving me f'cking crazy 1 day back after sick and they start having a go at me again ach well at least I'm home now and a cream egg is calling my name

My DH just shocked the heck out of me ladies by saying he does want to cut the cord! I am thinking he may back out on the day, though!

mrsmcj how weird they are at your hospital! Perhaps a complaint is in order, once baby is born?

Ineedmore ? ah glad they gave you a good send off from work! good to hear DS is on the mend too I know what you mean about those toilet breaks and kicks

Tee ? hello! You?ll have to get your DH to stay away from the business end at the birth! Mine decided (having spoken to lots of Dads) that he really didn?t need to see any of that! Hope you get some help with the iron. I took floradix after my MC and that seemed to sort me out without the nasty side effects iron tablets can give you (constipation) Thanks for your empathy on my hospital but it seems that is just the way it is here ? when in Rome etc?!

Insy ? I am so sorry, I didn?t realise you?d had PND, my telling you that story was insensitive, sorry I hope you are fine this time round hon. Thanks for the tip on the book DS is interested in babies and we choose a dolly for him today to have when our baby arrives, he loved it on sight he is interested in photos of himself too but I don?t think he gets that we are having a baby yet. I didn?t mean to worry you on the GBS front. They do test in the UK if you have risk factors like a birth before 37 weeks or leaking waters as I understand it. I think the most important thing is to be aware of the signs of GBS so you can look out for them in the baby. A lot of the research I have read suggests that the Abs in labour don?t help as much as early recognition of a GBS situation in a newborn (or in you). I had a good look at the placenta too, I was full of admiration for the work it had done ? don?t get how people can eat them though ? uggggh! I much prefer my pregnant body to my normal one, I felt pretty fat and frumpy after DS and am not looking forward to that feeling again I have to say

Laura Sorry to hear about the fainting. Are you eating and drinking enough and regularly enough? Is it particularly hot in your office? I don?t know what else to consider ? might be worth a general post in ?Pregnancy? as some others may know more. Careful with Irn Bru, it?s got caffeine in it.

Naat thanks for your empathy and don?t worry I will most certainly ask for help on the birth plan (must do it soon ? before the move next week would be best I think) so glad the appointments went well today and you got your wish to be MW led another scan at 36 weeks will be great too that was the last time I had one with Ds before I met him here they scan you on your due date

Ermintrude this bug is really taking it?s time to shift isn?t it? Poor you thanks for the advice on the books and on the hawk eyes I pulled my baby sister off the bed by her feet when she was 3 days old I?ve always been told by my parents that it was my jealousy but I find that hard to believe, I am not that type pf person plus I think it was their fault for leaving me alone with the baby, I was 23 months. I had a sweep with DS but it didn?t work. Apparently you need to avoid them with Strep B as it can spread the infection. DH did cut DS?s cord and commented that it was like squid there is no option for anyone other than the medical people to do it here! LOL at DS?s birth, mine was covered in meconium as was I but I didn?t care

Choccie I hope you are right about the SPD. Last time I had sciatica down my right leg but it disappeared at about 34 weeks, this time it seems to be getting worse so my hopes that the same thing will happen are fading. Am I right in thinking that with SPD breastfeeding can make it stick around longer? All the best for your Sis, I was 9 days late with DS and tried EVERYTHING ? 2 pineapples a day, long walks, sex ? you name it!! I didn?t do the castor oil thing though!

Bigcar sorry to hear that you feel that way about your hospital is it worth getting in touch with the Trust and explaining how you feel and why? It may help you feel better about things and it might make them buck up their ideas too. I?m not half as organised as I?d like to be.

June sorry to hear that you are worried about your hospital too can you not stipulate which hospital you?d prefer to be transferred to in your birth plan if you go to the birth centre? Chances are if you plan for the worst outcome, it won?t happen and if it does, you?ve thought it through I think that massage feels as bad as it sounds to be honest

Daisy you are clever with your photography!

Bunnymother ? you sound like me, the more I have to do, the less I actually do! are you nearly there with the packing?? I like your incentives!

Littlesarah LOL at your thoughts about Mad Exercise Girl

Hi everyone.

Well I finally heard from little sis. She had the MW over today for another sweep and the MW told her that she wanted her admitted this evening for a possible induction. Her blood pressure is high and they have told her she is having a big baby and her bump is way too big for her size?!

I am soooooo excited to hear her news.

Oh, she has strep b as well and they gave her 2 sweeps. Hope she is ok.

Hey Juners,

Choccie sending happy thoughts so that your sister's labour starts soon and goes smoothly How exciting!! Keep us posted Hope your SPD is not acting up too much.

Bunny as MrsMC said, I love those incentives you use! Great way of getting on with the packing lol. I'm still jealous you're moving now and not later, like me

LittleS I can trully imagine what your face looked like when your yoga mate said that LOL! Congrats on finishing the draft!!!

Tee at your clinic for not telling how anything but "you're anemic, lady". Grrr... Call them and give them an earfold

June I also think that knowing in advance where you might be transferred should anything happen will reassure you. Is there a way for you to know that or choose one in particular?

MrsMC at how they kept you waiting. I'm glad you can get the GD worry off your mind now , and yes, of course you have to buy a crystal ball, lady! Didn't you know that???

Laura nasty colleagues you have there. Ignore them as much as you can, it's the best you can do. Remember all the advice Juners have given you today re. your fainting spells

Oh, 1st April!!! I ordered from ebay one of those magic swaddling blankets one of you ladies recommended (can't remember if it was Ineed or Insy or someone else ) and from a place called Vertbaudet (I got a mini catalogue with my bounty pack) I got a waterproof mattress cover and a warm jacket for the baby (for later on) because they had a 10 pound discount + a free changing bag + a free changing mat + a sleeping bag for only 4.99 (reg price 24) if you ordered from them . No way to resist the temptation of getting those 5 things for only 29.98!! So I got a bit carried away to be only the first day of the month LOL.

Waves to all the rest of the Juners!

mrsmcj please don't worry I wasn't offended or anything, my PND was never that bad, the worst I did was walk out of house cause I though ds was better off without me talking bout it helps because keeps it real and I can recognise when I'm not coping, its just sad to hear about people who reached that stage, I'm so lucky to have v supportive dh who has to look after us all but still lets me have more babies when I have a wobble its good to know he has faith in me!
GBS is something I'd never considered before - bit like not actually knowing what half my antenatal tests are for if anything happens before 37 wks HB is out anyway and its good to know its tested for in those cases
had very funny discussion with mw before ds2 arrived, I'd been talking to my mum about xmas dinner and said I really wanted pate and brie and a drink so was hoping ds arrived on time (due - and arrived - week before xmas) so when she came to pick ds1 up when I was in labour her parting comment was 'pate for xmas dinner then' to which mw said 'oh you want to keep the placenta?' nooooo, dh told her he'd better not find it in fridge after she'd gone

naat I got the miracle blanket - tried it out on ds1's doll other day great bargains

hello all x

good morning! is no one aound for a chat? I've been in work since 7am and throughly bored

Hi insy, I'm around.... how are you?

insy I'm around too been at work since 8 and been pretty boring so far although no fainting yet...yey

How are you feeling this morning??

Morning girls

I'm just off to DS's school concert in which his class will be singing 2 songs from Mary Poppins. I'll probably cry.

Haven't heard from looouise for a while, are you OK chuckie?

Hope everyone has a good relaxing day.

Hi ladies!
I'm around, since 7.30 that I woke up, just thought no one else was

laura that there's been no fainting! yay!

ermin I was thinking about that last night before going to bed, that we hadn't "seen" her for a few days... Tibsy also said she'd come back and didn't hehe, hope her cold is better now... Enjoy the concert! and cry away, lady, it's ok!!

How r u Insy and Ineed?

laura - hope it continues for today

I'm doing ok, baby v active today which is very distracting, got a free 10 day gym pass so went swimming last night so maybe baby is feeling better it too

hi ineedmore

ermin - hope you have lovely time at concet, which songs are they singing?

ooo and naat!

ermin hope you have a fab time at the concert and like naat said cry away lady

I have been thinking of looouise tibsy and strawberrysam for a while, not heard from them lately I do hope they are all ok.

Oh these early mornings aren't good for me wish I was still off ach well suppose I better get use to early morning wake up calls

ohhh so nice you have that free pass, insy! Milk it! hahaha Are there other things you enjoy besides swimming and that you can go to? Yoga or pilates, maybe?

I keep on doing my pilates at home, although I've certainly slowed down since I got pg... I used to be a gym fan (not freak, Laura, I promise) until May last year when we moved from Leeds and my gym stayed there