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

[divedaisy]

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

I would love hens, but right now I can't think about animals. Need to get my garden sorted first. Not got veg patch in yet. Our neighbours have hens. He made the coop himself.

We are well keen on the hen idea!!! Would our cat worry the hens?? Where do you by laying hens from. I love the eglu thanks for the link but DH says 'we don't need one of them posh coops I'll make one' My hero

Fi I also have about 4 contingency plans in place but am hoping that it will happen when DH is here and on the weekend when SIL is here to watch DD. Luckily we are only 10 mins from the hospital so we don't have that to worry about.

Febes My hubby built our coop out of some old pallets and leftover ply - he said we weren't getting into this self-sufficiency malarkey to spend £300 on a coop! I wanted an eglu but he was having none of it - your other option is something like this kind of thing which has a run underneath the coop and therefore takes less space.

My cats have all had a go at the hens, they'll do it once and the hens will teach them a lesson they'll never forget! There's loads of places to get a point of lay hen from, www.practicalpoultry.com has a forum with a buy/sell/trade section and that's where I always look

blotted Now I'm all interested in hens again. Bil is a teacher and says that pets are very good for children. I love cats but am quite allergic to dander and according to the tests, rabbits, horses, pollen, mould the list goes on.

Oh and I'm pretty sure my waters went at 3. No contractions yet but I can't sleep. I know they say it's meant to smell of straw and be completely different to urine, but quite frankly I can't tell the difference. Give it a few hours and if it doesn't smell like stale wee then I could tell. I figure it was my waters because I've never just spontaneously wet the bed before, my bladder isn't weak, and although I was desparate for the loo, my urine was bright orange, and my pj bottoms and pillow are white. They don't look like they've been weed on. Oh I'm wittering.

Sophietom Don't think I'll manage to meet you in town today. I went to Bras4Mums near Chorley BTW, but they have measuring people who come out to your home (in the North West) for a £10 one off charge. You aren't obliged to buy anything either.

Just writing my birth preferences. Nothing like being prepared hey? Will text my cmw and ring delivery suite soon to let them know my waters have gone. No point in waking up the on-call mw to come in night.

Oh my goodness jennster, how exciting!! Are you still there?

Jennster how exciting I was thinking we needed another baby and since I didn't wake up with a baby at the end of the bed it might as well be you....

Blotted Thanks for the hen info. We are so getting some. Are they ok in winter? Do they go off the lay? My grandparents were farmers so its in my blood . I feel I might morph into you with all the baking and hens and dom goddess-ness.

DD woke at 6am again and is still pooing for england. We are going to toddler group today and I am so excited as I haven't been before as I was always working but DD goes with her childminder everyweek so knows everyone. She will be able to show me the ropes!!

Morning. Went back to sleep and got a couple more hours. Mid wife coming late morning, and no contractions, so going for a walk and then doing some baking.

Jennster How exciting!!

Febes I told my DH that you lot think I'm a domestic goddess and he nearly fell off the bed laughing :p Our hens were absolutely A-OK over winter but we didn't get a single egg between mid-November and early February and that's with ten hens. Bear in mind though that because we're in Scotland we get quite a bit less daily sun during winter than our Southern counterparts. I was the only person I know who keeps hens who had none for so long so I think there was something else bothering them. I'm getting an average of 8 a day now though!

all the best Jennster and congrats to aquababe and the1stmrsf!!

I am absolutely shattered! I've not done that much over the past few days either! Ds has been playing up. He's adamant that he doesn't want a baby brother or sister and of course everyone keeps asking him! His behaviour has deteriorated as well, which I could do with out at the moment!! Having said that he slept till almost 8am this morning which is unheard of

I saw the consultant the other day and they seem to think this baby is smaller than ds was, so I am going to attempt a natural birth. The consultant has written all over my notes that if its not a straight forward birth then I'm for c section. My mum used to work at the hospital so has primed one of her old work colleagues incase she's on when I go in. Now I have this irrational fear of giving birth with one of my mums old buddy's around Its not like they haven't seen everything!

We're out for our 2nd mother and toddler group of the week. I think I should have a t shirt made saying I'm due in a week and no I don't know what I'm having!! Don't know how many times I answered those questions yesterday!!

Anyhow enough of me - have a good day ladies!

Morning everyone

We are still here, we are still slowly losing waters. Had loads of tightenings and some irregular mild contractions, I just want it to start properly.....

Morning ladies!

Jennster - hope you have a good day today!! Am v impresed that you went back to sleep, wasn't the excitement too much to bear?!

Still nothing happening here. Quiet day today, DD is at the CM's all day, I've got a few jobs to do this morning and an appt with the MW this afternoon. When I saw her 2 weeks ago she said we'd start talking about sweeps this time...not sure if it is just 'talking' about it, or actually doing one today. Technically only 39+6 today, would she do a sweep? I've never had one before, with DD I had an appt booked for a sweep at 40+4, she was born at 40+2.

Jennster I guess I'll let you off for cancelling our meeting at such short notice (I'll toast you with an extra large slice of cake and a hot chocolate)
I'm excited for you ... Good luck!!!!!!!

Mammoth catch up as didn't manage to come on yesterday at all.
spangle and blotted{sad} and {shock} at your mum's stories. Makes you realise how lucky we are to live in an age where doctors are a little better trained and where we have scans.
Interesting chat re our mums and their labours though. MW's gave me differing opinions on this as my mum had all 3 of me and brothers early. My youngest brother was 7 weeks early in 1986. I was told it was likely I would be early. Others said no correlation at all. The only similarity is that with DS I had high BP with him and so did my mum with my youngest brother which prob brought on her early labour.

Well I think milk in. Night before last, after I had given R formula in a syringe, he slept really well. I woke up at 4.30am shivering madly. It also felt like needles in my boobs which continued all day. Started to put R to them both and he sucked away most of day really, but boobs have not gone hard and milk is definately NOT gushing out. Have tried a bit of hand expressing but not sure am doing it right as there is nothing there! Nips are not too sore so maybe latch is ok but now we are in a position where R is getting frantic (screaming and arching back) and when he goes on, he sucks for about a 30 secs and falls asleep.

MW coming today ( hopefully anytime now) so will see how his weight is, but am struggling keeping it together today. I promised myself that if BF didn't work, I would not get upset about it. Its probably just baby blues too, but not feeling too great today. We've probably given R about a carton of the ready made formula over the past 36 hours and now am thinking this was bad idea but then, he must be hungry and if we hadn't, then he'd be dehydrated by now.
Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. This is hard.

Sorry for the self indulgent post. How is everyone else getting on? Does everyone feel like these first few days are a bit of a roller coster ? Does anyone breeze through if you are BF without worrying about their LO getting enough food?

LadyH you are doing well - I don't think anyone breezes through it - speak to your MW when she comes she may be able to help you with technique - I think it takes a bit of getting used to - for you and baby! hang in there - remember your hormone levels crash dramatically after having a baby so it is normal to feel down in the beginning. I think you have hit the nail on the head - rollercoaster!

LadyH sorry - didn't mean to sound patronizing - your DS is about the same age as mine - so you know all this! I think I am trying to remind myself of what happens in the beginning again!

rosie you didn't sound patronising at all!! Its so cruel that nature times everything so that we get the hormone crash just as milk comes in, or doesn't, after a few nights of no sleep. Hardly surprising we become hormonal and emotional messes!

No sign of mw yet. Am literally staring out of window willing her to arrive.

oh Jennster and bantam how exciting - fingers and toes crossed for today for you. Hope that everything progresses some more.

I had a couple of tightenings in the night but nothing more. I'm just looking forward to the scan putting my mind at rest about the presentation this afternoon. There ... no one can accuse me of being pessimistic

this is just a quick one as running around this morning sorting out car probs arrrgghhh - good job I can still fit behind the wheel and garage is not too far !!

LadyH so sorry to hear you are having BF issues - hope the MW arrives soon.
Have you called laletch I think Fi or Febes posted the numbers a couple of pages back, I'll try and find them for you. I got some really good support from them over the phone when I had problems last time.
Your crying is normal too I remember I just couldn't stop the first couple of weeks at the slightest thing. it does get better PROMISE - hang in there, we are all here for you.

hiya ladies- I've just posted on Pregnancy, I'm a bit worried as my SPD and sciatica is so bad I can hardly walk again but I have woke up this morning and my hands, feet and face are all swollen. I have called the midwife crying that my sciatica is bad but then later realised that I look like the elephant woman. I have a headache but could be from crying, and also I have traces of protein in my wee last check on wed last week. Should I be worried, I feel worried but I don't know whether I just feel down about being completely immobile and depenedent on family.

My scaitica is on my left side but the right side of my body seems to be more swelled than the left.

Anyway sorry to disappoint all the first timers but my boobies went up to a G, they fluctuated while breast feeding but stablised at a DD and after I stopped bf they were like tiny deflated arm bands...! Plus side is they inflate again when you get pregnant 2nd time round!

Here you go LadyH

BfN 0300 100 0210
LLL 0845 120 2918
National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212
ABM 08444 122 949

These were posted by Jennster a few pages back.

I would call all of them - they may even have someone available in your area who will come and visit you at home. I found them a great help last time and someone even called back a few times to see how I was getting on. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Let us know how you get on.

First and foremost I want to reasure you ladyhelen that if your milk has come in it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be gushing out or that your boobs will be hard, neither happened to me with ds, even though he thrived. If you think your milk has come in, then you could try and see if you get more milk off with a pump if hand expressing isn't successful. Do bear in mind that what you express is by no means a sign of how much milk you actually have. I could never express more than a few ml, but my dcs thrived. Secondly and I know this will be hard, if you top up with formula in a way you'll get into a viscious cycle of baby feeding less because he's topped up and then as a result you'll make less milk because he's feeding less from the breast, which is why you'll top up more etc, etc, etc.
If I were you I'd get in touch with any of the organisations fi mentioned earlier e.g. La Leche League, the NCT or the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, because they could maybe send a lactation consultant round to see you. Another useful place to visit would be a local breast feeding support group. Your cmw might not be able to provide enough support as she's limited in the amount of time she can spend with your. Maybe your trust has a lactation consultant who can visit you and has plenty of time to spend with you to have a good look at what's going on, because you sound like you're struggling a bit.
I know you said that if bf didn't work you wouldn't get upset, but I'm sure that now you've started it will be v. difficult not to get upset. It's a very very emotional thing to do and is not just about the milk. So find yourself all the support you need, use MN and keep your chin up. You'll be able to bf, honestly, you can do it! But these 1st few weeks can be very hard!

Jennster Bantam How exciting, any time soon, you'll be holding your baby!

No signs here. I'm now officially past my due date. I've not slept quite as well today. My mum and I went to Asda today and I ended up having to go for a sit down, because I was feeling dizzy and weak. We're going for lunch now in a new cafe that opened in my 'village' over winter and that looks really really nice, but I just haven't managed to go there yet. After that I'll just have a bit of a rest until it's time to pick up ds.

ladyh- the la leche league were an absolute god send for me. They are moms themselves and are fab- the woman honestly enabled me to bf confidently and like a pro after 1 week, I am looking forward to doing it again because she made me understand what to expect. The midwives were horrible at my hospital - good luck xxx and congratulations as I haven't been on here to say it yet xxx

minim great of you to find those numbers.
ladyhelen Do phone them, you need a bit of extra help I think. Keep writing here too, we're here to support you, even us with our bump still intact