Due May 09 - May Day! May Day!! Read All About It - Babies Dropping Everywhere!!!

[divedaisy]

Here we go ladies... over to you all!

Oh my gosh....good luck Tummum!

Good Luck!

tummum good luck. Hope you'll have your baby soon.

sophietom lol I've done similar things in the past and not always when pg too.

frazz I dont know why other people care so much about our weight gain. It's not their body or problem!

Good luck Tummum!!

Good luck!

MW just leaving. I'm 3 cm (yay!) but ctx easing off. She thinks they will be back with a vengence in a bit so DH is putting up pool and I'm off for a walk to bring them back . Exciting !!!!!

gert2a - huge congratulations on the arrival of Edith, what a pretty name. Glad you are home, hope all ok. No tips on sleeping, DD was a dreadful sleeper! My sister swore by swaddling though.

divedaisy - congratulations to you too! Another beautiful name.

momino - congratulations to you as well! Wow, what a night.

detsy - DH and I are having a (very) mini sweepstake on the arrival date! He reckons 10th May, I think 12th or 13th. DD was born on the dat eI thought she'd arrive on, which was 2 days after the scan date. NOthing excitibg here, just plenty of BHs and occasional period type pain. No show yet.

tummum - good luck!

My jaffa cake is in the oven - smellng good! Will post and updtae later. Got to go, DD just woken up. She doesn't seem to be ill anymore, fortunately.

Tummum
Yeah way to go! Good luck...oh enjoy!!! Can't wait to see your LO I bet....oh wow...getting all emotional!!!

Wow, have I missed a lot or what?!

Congrats to Gert, dived and momi three little girls. Am loving Edith and Sofia names too, looking forward to hearing what momi's lo is going to be called too.

tummum good luck, sounds exciting.

Fi so sorry to hear about your evening, as others have said it is fixable and we all make mistakes pg brain or not. Glad to hear Douglas Dog has got a new plan of action, good he likes his new food too, hope it works.

Sausage have you been brave enough to venture into the kitchen yet? My cake is just cooling then need to pop out to get some choc for the top (altho am tempted to sod the choc cut it now )

Actually while we're on the subject of your fab cake blotted, would you mind if I sent the link to a friend of mine? She is a vegan and a baking nut and is always looking out for new cake recipes to 'veganise'. I think she'd love this one. No worries if you'd rather I didn't pass it on tho - thought you might want to keep copyright for a future cookbook!

sophie I once tried to get into my old office building using my visa card in the security swipe machine so am completely used to doing rather 'interesting' things like you. So far this pg I have melted the front off our microwave whilst making burgers and nearly burnt the house down leaving the kettle on the stove while empty...

choc so glad you had a fab day, had a quick look at your pics on fb, you all look gorgeous. I love your pink evening dress too, where was that from? Glad you are putting your feet up today after all the stress and excitement of the last few weeks.

think that's it sorry if I've missed anyone - have been trying the two window method and still got lost with posts!

Oooooh good luck Tummum!!!

Running - et al - you will all be pleased to know that my jaffacakecakecake is in the oven with about 20 minutes to go! Dp is v chuffed!! (So am I actually!)(I was even more impressed to find that I actually had greaseproof paper in the draw!)(Btw, I sort of can cook before anyone thinks I am totally rubbish - just not cakes!!!)

Also - piece of news - remember Andrina? Dandy and I met with her a few weeks back on the first London meet up. Anyway, she has emailed me to say that Stanley Jacob arrived last Saturday 25th April at 2312h, weighing 2.98kg - he was 10 days early! All is well

Blimey guvnor, its all 'appening, innit....

Good luck Tummum

Tummum Good luck.

Jaffacakecakecake I'm going to be controversial here. It's lovely, but not a patch on the cherry bakewell cake. I think I would go as far to say, that it's nicer without the chocolate on as just an orange cake. Perhaps with a load of poppy seeds in too.........Of course then it's not a jaffacakecakecake I love that it's a loaf rather than sandwich though, and not at all uncooked in the middle. Listening to the cake has definitely given me the confidence to fiddle around with instructions I would have been guessing at previously. I've moved from a fan to a gas oven, and the difference is startling, which is why I bought the thermometer.

Just had an afternoon nap and ahem self induction. Very funny. Very functional. Not at all romantic considering the time it's been since we last did it but hey. We have the rest of our lives for that.

Well it has been a few weeks since I have been on here and so much has happened. Congratulations to everyone who has had their beautiful babies, you are all so clever and good luck Tum with the next few hours, all very exciting. I have tried to catch up with the last thread, but I think there have been at least 3 since I was last on!! YOu guys love to talk.
After a hectic few weeks I am now officially hibernating and waiting for d day so hope to be on MN for most of the day every day until it happens!
Blotted I absolutely love your website, and you have inspired me to get baking.
ChocBunnies congrats on being a mrs, I hope the day was amazing for you.
Babies seem to be popping out all over the place so I am hoping that I won't have too long to go.
I had a scan at 35 weeks and was told baby was a giant at already 7lb 5oz, and they predicted a birth weight of over 11 lbs!! Arghhh! They have done loads of tests and there seems to be no sinister reason for the size of baby, he just seems to like growing! They wanted to induce me early, but I have turned that down, I have a consultants appointment on 14th and if I haven't gone into labout by then (due date 17th) then I will go for induction or C Section as he will be massive. So I am really hoping it all kicks off before then. Anyone out there had a massive baby? Would love to hear people's opinions/experiences. I have done a lot of Active BIrth Yoga and really think I should be able to do it naturally, but am a bit scared of him getting stuck and not being able to breathe etc. Maybe Belgian could offer me some of her valubale experience of 11 lbers, how risky is it delivering naturally for the baby if he gets stuck? I am also aware that late scans are notoriously inaccurate with their weight estimates, I have a lot of water maybe this can magnify the size of the baby?
Any way I have waffled on enough now and think I need some chocolate!! Good luck everyone and promise now to be on lots and get back into it!
x

Hello everyone. Well it has really slowed down. Well, stopped . Hopefully it's just a pause... So going for another walk. Sorry to cause too much excitement.

Have finished cooking jaffaxakcakecake and it's sitting in the kitchen waiting to be finished by hungry MWs after I have this baby - tonight hopefully !!!!

Ooooh I've just put the chocolate on mine!!!

Jennster I actually prefer the cherry bakewell as well

Running I have no problem at all with anyone pinching the recipe - that's why I blog this kind of thing, I think it's far more fun to encourage other people to have fun in the kitchen. Besides, I don't come up with these recipes - they're either out of cookbooks (I'll mention which ones in the post) or they're hand-me-down recipes from family members. The jaffa cake cake one came from my wee Nana - Actually now that I think of it, you might want to point your vegan friend at this blog bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/

HtheH Thank you! Can I give you some reassurance about birthing a big one? The biggest risk you're going to face is either that baby gets stuck (in which case you're off for a c-section) or baby gets a shoulder dystocia. What you need to know is how your midwives would cope with a shoulder dystocia (which happened to me with my 12lb 3oz DS).

Shoulder dystocia is one of the very few occasions where you want a labouring woman flat on her back - have a look at this YouTube video which shows the McRoberts manoevre to correct the baby's positioning. If your midwives are clued up on this extremely simple manoevre then you will be fine.

Thank you Blotted, I can't believe your DS was over 12lb, that is amazing - and reassuring!! I think I will get as well informed as possible and talk to midwife next week.
Off for a little walk now and then I think the linen cupboard is calling me for a reorganisation!
HOpe everyone is enjoying the bank holiday sunshine.

Tummum good luck at getting your labour re-started. Everyone's different, but getting in the bath got mine kickstarted... think it can slow things down for some people though.

We had our posh new mattress delivered yesterday. It's a bespoke shape & size to fit our new bed that DH designed (the room is too narrow to allow a normal length bed, so he designed a shorter one with a curve on the end)... astonishingly expensive but turned out most of the cost because it's handmade rather than because of the shape. It's soooo comfy though - can't believe we've been sleeping on our saggy old mattress for so long. Anyway, we can finally start moving out of our old bedroom & start work on Harvey's room. We might just have it finished before he's 6 years months old.

sausage I am exactly the same but my nemesis is pastry not cake. I will generally avoid cooking anything pastry based if I can, gives me nightmares [shudder]

Blotted thanks, I'll let you know how she gets on and thanks for the link too, have passed it on to her. I didn't have a loaf tin so made a round one and it looks like mount vesuvius erupting chocolate... am about to have a slice now!

tum fingers crossed it gets going again soon!

tummum, got my fingers crossed for you too. OMG, feels crazy that baby has arrived and I forgot how to do everything! have had a bit of sleep but now about to get more.

Summary of the labour/birth: contrax started suddenly at 10:30ish pm last night but i thought it was wind . they escalated, put the tens on (good distraction btw), sis was here with girls so went on to hosp about 11.45. upon arrival discovered i was 8cm dilated so no pain relief seemed available and I felt confident getting by with breathing from hypno CD. MW and trainee were there almost the whole time. had put no trainee MW since i had a bad experience with DD2s birth but this trainee was so nice, I decided to strike that out of the plan - so glad I did bcause she was lovely and, along with DH, coached my breathing and confidence so well. after a few hours, really felt i couldn't do it but kept 'listening' to my body (sounds corny?), and dd3 came out at 4.05am. just a small tear, stitched straight away, and allowed to go home by 9am. still aw blood tests for rh Neg to see if I have to go back for antiD.

yes, hurt like hell, but yes have let it go already. taking arnica, have had pessary (sp?) pain relief for stitches and now paracetamol. BF going ok so far. DEFN recommend the Hypno therapy. although I didn't hypnotise myself and it didn't take away the pain, i was able to focus on breathing and felt more in control than last time.

still need a name! letting DH choose the name as he's now outnumbered - he likes Harper or Honour but I'm still looking through books for suggestions. it's a tough job finding the name.

sorry for this long post but i can't do anything else but babble right now. and dream of Jaffa cake loaf - could anyone send me one?

chocobunnies, congrats on your wedding, lovely photo! so glad the day went well.

Belgian - did you ask about the sweep? yes, i did have the sweep yesterday morning. it may have got the labour going (or could have been the curry last night ?). My CMW will want to think she was responsible ... i may go along with that as she's lovely.

wow what a busy day!

congrats momino on your night time pink arrival absolutely fabby and glad you think the hypnotherapy helped too. amazing you're home already too.

tummum ooo er hope your labour gets going again..

chocolatebunnies glad you had a fantastic day.. & mrs chocolatebunnies now

on phone at mo trying to catch up.. and outraged at the excess weight comment what a jealous moo

blotted's recipe for jaffa cake tastes great.. although I was very inpatient to wait the 40 or so mins to cook a loaf cake so ds and i made huge batch of cup cakes with the mix instead! they're cooled and freshly drizzled with orange/sugar now just to drizzle with choc. have left some plain too as they're very scrummy on their own

Evening all,

Just been over to see my family in Manchester before the LO comes in 10 (!) days time. Was nice to catch up with my pg sister and pg SIL. My sister had her 21 week scan yesterday and found out she is having a boy (Sept) and my SIL had a 4d scan and I think it looks like a girl (or a pretty boy).

Apparently when my sister told my mum she was having a boy (and this is a much-longed for and expensive IVF baby!), my mum said "oh, not another one" . Mothers, eh....That was a similar reaction to when I told her our latest addition was a boy- disappointment. So my mum is hoping my SIL has a girl, to "balance it out" as otherwise there would be my DD and then 4 boys. It's funny though as my mum's sisters all have female grandchildren (8 in total) so my DS was the first to buck that trend!

momino - lovely to hear your story, sounds incredibly smooth. Good news about that the breathing worked, and also good news about the stitches!

cake report - it's good, DH loved it (but he is very easy to please in the cake department), beautiful moist cake...but it can't beat traditional lemon drizzle cake imho. Just not tangy enough for my taste, even though I doubled the quantity of orange zest and juice. The basic cake mixture though is great, think I'll use it as the base for my next LDC (adapted as appropriate). If I've got enough energy this week I might try the cherry bakewell cake, that sounds good too. Another recipe recommendation for you - if you like orangey cakes, Nigel Slater has a good recipe for a marmalade cake in hi Kitchen Diaries book. Very handy for using up marmalade (for some reason PILs keep giving us jars of marmalade and neither DH or I eat it).

DH and I have decided to make a start on the self inducement plan tonight - he's just gone to fetch a curry, and I'm mentally preparing myself for the other later. Will have to make sure I have plenty of gaviscon before I go to bed though, would hate to be interrupted by heartburn! I know I'm not technically due until Friday, but it can't hurt to get going, can it? I'm getting a bit bored of being pregnant now.

Hi everyone. Just bought a breast pump for £6.11 from Tesco, a tommee tippee closer to nature one, that should of being about £25. Started leaking a little milk a few days ago, so thought I start expressing some now to encourage my milk. Being doing it for 10 minutes and nearly got 1oz. Will these encourage labour and if so how long should I do it for. Can feel some braxton hicks but I always get them strongly at this time of night. I have a quite bad diahorrea all day so hoping I'm not too far off. Have my c-section planned for 19th May (40+3) and would like to go into labour naturally beforehand.
Sarah (38 weeks today)