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

[Ineedmorechocolatenow]

Here it is!

June, if you need a dental x-ray they can always give you an 'iron apron' to put over your abdomen, but actually there's no evidence to suggest that an x-ray aimed at your jaw would have any effect at all on you or baby, who is safely out of the way. So if you're in great pain or they really need to take a look, they should be cool about x-raying you.

I filled in and posted the grant form the day I got it because I just knew that if I didn't I'd be in exactly the same situation. As for forgetfulness - I'm like my nan, and she's completely bonkers.

erm thankfully my teeth aren't painful at the moment, I only went because dh read somewhere that I should, and it's free, dh loves a bargain . Seriously he needed to go and probably just wanted some support :D
That also meant I could take the morning off and we had a nice lunch after so it wasn't too hard to convince me to come along!
I've not been able to focus properly since and hardly done any work , I am completely in my own little world today!

june last time I went to midwife she didn't have the forms yet my next appointment is 17th April so I now need to wait till then until I get the form, here's hoping she'll have the form this time

Hey ladies!

Posting from uni now. I've been here since 2pm scanning things (so as not to have to take exactly 10 books home!)I'm just taking 3 . I'd love to come every day but uni is in Bradford and I don't live there so it's quite a journey.

I "finished" my list of things for the hospital bag and now I'm excited because I have to go and buy things . You must think I'm a shopaholic, I swear I've never been like this, I blame it on the pregnancy

June ROFL on your encounter with your tub. Poor you, I imagine your face when you came back to see the water running and not a bath ready to be enjoyed!

Ermin glad you enjoyed your DS's play. I imagine how proud you were sitting there watching him

bunny yay on the blanket! and on almost being done with the packing I'd love to think I'll be able to leave the packing to others but unfortunately the only other is DH so I know I'll have to do some of it... I'll do it with plenty of time to make sure I don't end up in bed afterwards Sorry to hear the baby hasn't been letting you sleep

Tee hope you get the solution you need SOON.

littleSarah yay on your final article! Enjoy your bra shopping!

Right, done with the scanning. I must move now and go home. (waves!)

laura there are signs all over my antenatal clinic saying they don't have the forms and to call your GP. So maybe you can try that?

I am such a chicken about the dentist, I'm not going even though its free! I know, bad Tee!

Well ladies sisters baby has arrived!!! .

After a very long drawn out labour (approx.22 hours), having waters broken,induction and then epidural and having cervix clamped she finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.10lbs 7ozs!!! Now is anyone surprised that it took so long to deliver???!!!!I am so excited by all of this so hope you don't mind me sharing the news.It just brings the thought of our own deliveries even closer to mind.

Sister is over the moon and it was all so worth it

I would jump at free dental check up if they offered it here. Unfortunately they don't.

You know the saying "for every baby you lose a tooth"? Well let me tell you girls, there is some truth in it as far as I have been concerned. Already had 1 check up at beginning of pregnancy and supposed to go for another next month.

Congrats to your sis choccie I bet she is very relieved her daughter is finally here !!

Congrats to your sister choccie and OMG she's a big girl!

What have they called her?

choccie sounds like your niece is a bonny lass and no mistake! Congrats to your sister and I hope you get to see the babe soon. I'm not even going to think what clamping the cervix might do, let alone ask .

Congrats to your sister choccie, what an impressive size, no wonder it was a struggle! Mad to think just a couple of months it'll be us.

laura - I totally forgot to ask midwife for form at appointment! Going to phone and see if I can pop in and pick one up otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait til week 34 when I have my next appointment.

Hi everyone have really enjoyed reading through all your posts this week I have had a really bad cold this week and tummy aches but am feeling lots better now. PMSL at the poo stories I dont dare ask my dp. Baby has been practicing her trampolining on my bladder it feels like and has hiccups every other hour. DD age 2 1/2 has become fascinated with my boobs and keeps lifting my top and squeezing them to see the milk bless just hope she doesnt do it in public. I too desparately need some new bras.
Re the bed mats I use the pampers bed mats you can get for training toddlers to keep the bed dry or incontinence bed pads
Is anyone planning to go away for easter? Im really looking forward to my break in Wales now Welcome to any new mumsnetters. Cant believe most of us are on the final 10 week countdown its gone so quickly. Hope everyone is well today

Quick post

Congrats to your sister choccie!!! Wow, that was a big baby!! Blessings for the LO!!

I'll catch up later

Hi all,

Right-

Breast pads- I found the tommy tippee disposable ones the best, they were less visiable through clothes and had some sort of gel inside to absorb the milk they were also quite slimline, cheap bulky ones were awful. Once the milk slowed down I borrowed my sis's Lilypadz which were fab they are a silicone based things which you can use between feeds and absolutely brilliant for nights out etc as they are the most discreet thing I found.

That's all I can think of for the mo

xxdoris

Sarah- you can get breast shells(well via my dsis I got mine ) they must hold at least 50ml (if not more) and are designed specifically to cope with the problem you describe. (although then again you may still need to empty regularly!)

Choci- many congratulations to your dsis, well done her and OMG, and congrats to you too for being an auntie!!

I put a number in for the health in pregnancy grant helpline a while back (not sure if this thread or the last one) for those of you having diffiulties. They do the chasing and phone up your GP to make sure thay have the form. Turns out in our practice one of my 2 mw had recieved them but not passed them over, but they were really helpful getting it too me without another appointment (left it filled in and signed with the reception staff!)

Had my MIL over today, which was lovely ( yes really ) She has a house in Florida for the winter so they have now retuned for the summer. So it was great for her to see how much the dd's have grown. The dd's were beside themselves with excitement, and dd2 21mths even managed an attempt at her name (margaret!!) VVV cute ( although I fully admit to be slightly biased!) She aslo gave us some money for the baby which was lovely ( and very gratefully recieved as mentally I will now say she bought us the phil and teds, and put £100 into premuium bonds for the LO so it is exactly the same as it's dsis's!!)

Both dd's and dh have a horrid cough/ cold thing, which I am hoping to avoid (don't want to cough this baby out!!!

oh and a confession I've pranged the car (already!!!!!) just a small scrape on the front bumper but soooooooo annoying I think i know when i did it ( In a parking space at the dr's!) so I can't even blame dh He has been very forgiving after an inital oh bugger- so I'm now having to mutter and curse to myself

the that's all folks was supposed to be at the end!

oh choccie what wonderful news about your sis bet she's relieved its all over and now has a lovely baby girl!
Here's hoping we dont all have the same drawn out labour, god approx 22 hours must have been hard x

Started to buy things for my hospital bag like nightdress dressing gown slippers socks big BIG pants going to buy rest of stuff like maternity pads, breast pads etc tomorrow...I knw I asked about breast pads but which maternity pads or sanitary towels would you guys suggest??

Sanitary towels - the biggest you can get. ones that go from the base of your spine at the back to your navel at the front. And plenty of them. If you have heavy night bleeds then you'll know what kind are best, and ones marketed as Night-time are usually as good as maternity - just means HUGE

laura I disagree I leaked through sainitary towels, no one told me your uterus contracts when you breastfeed and squeezes more blood out, I flooded everytime I fed till I worked out I needed to double up mat pads and sit on pampers bed mat, plus maternity pads are thicker and give you that bit more cushioning, I just used boots ones

choccie congrats on becoming an auntie! is this your first niece? whats her name? and what on earth is clamping her cervix all about or do I really not want to know??!

Breastpads: I also tried lillypadz, no good for me, I leaked out of other breast when feeding so lillypadz leaked, if I used the avent breast shells (sterilised each time) I could collect 2oz from other breast and have 7oz feed by end of day saved expressing

Hi dreamy we're off camping on sat, one night only 45 mins down road, just for an adventure

tee sounds very odd that you're boarderline when taking sups but hope they sort it out soon, just hope it isn't making you feel rubbish while you have to wait for more bloods

daisy photographer called me today and is happy to do free shoot if he can use shots for his portfolio, he's wanting to do loads of different stuff starting with me in fav clothes and hopefully some naked silhoutte ones at end but was really easy to speak to and said we would just do some shots and see how I felt, much more excited about it now, dh really supprised as this so isn't 'me' to have photos done but feel its a fitting end to my last pregnancy, what stage do you think I should get photographed at? 29 wks today and don't think I'd want to go any later than 36 wks but not sure when is 'best' time...

Hi all

Have just 'dipped in' before going to bed so haven't read everything.

tee - fyi I took Pregnacare till the end and had 'near normal' iron levels.

insy - don't think there is an ideal time. My 'subject' was 30 weeks but all tums are different. It's really hard to say. Just go with your gut instinct I reckon, and maybe take another look at that site and decide if you think it matters waiting till it is especially large?

laura - the super dooper heavy duty maternity pads like erm says. And the mats for the bed she mentioned. The first few days are worst but you do bleed for up to a month and cannot use tampons. Use cheap knickers so you don't stain your nice ones.

Hello everyone.

Like insy I leaked through them too at times. Sometimes it just gushed out. Don't want to stain nice mattresses, carpets, clothes etc. Mattress protector pretty important too.

oh and Ineed- I'm having a fab garden time too - I have a garden plan drawn up with all the plants I am going to put in the different places. All flax, fern, grasses, achillea, dahlia etc at the back, a flood of flowers under the trees, lots of euphorbia, lupins, little shrubs and herbs near the front and pretty little flowers in the pot plants. I'm fast becoming addicted to gardening!

Oh I know what else mrsmcjnr - really interesting what you said about being told that second time around, should think about heading to hospital when contractions 10mins apart. I wonder if that's what they say in UK too?

Morning all.

I've looked in my local Boots (and its a big one) for maternity pads, but can't seem to find them. I will ask if I have to, but was wondering if anyone could tell me what section they are in? I don't see them in any of the logical places!

I need to head for my blood test in a bit and then maybe some shopping. I actually had a very nice sleep!! Great, just as we're getting to the point of no sleep and crying babies, I've broken through my insomnia!! Sod's Law!!

laura, tee and insy I found that there are some things sold as mat pads that are not as good as heavy-duty night-time sanitary towels - and nothing can guarantee that you won't leak. Finding the thickest and biggest - and realising you may need two - is the most important thing (ie. I've bought some Sainsbury's and Boot's mat pads but the materials they use are the same as their sanitary towels so I think it's just marketing).

It's why I'm still going to use paper pants at first rather than cheap cotton ones - the joy of being able to rip the whole thing off and sticking in in a nappy bag!

Not everyone gets a very heavy lochia for long either - it will be at first but may reduce to heavy-med period quite quickly in which case you need a good selection of normal towels for the final weeks/days.

What a lovely topic to start the morning with!

Thanks erm going to boots today so think I might just buy some mat pads and some always night pads take it I can get the bed mats from boots too? going at lunch time to buy the remainder of my stuff started to pack my bag last night, god I felt like I was going on holiday lol