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

[divedaisy]

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

Blotted The Jaffa cakecakecakecake was very much appreciated!! I've never seen 3 girls wolf down their dinner as quickly. DD1's friend even said she was jealous of Maia for having home-made cakes and 'proper' food (her mum works full-time and, I would imagine, doesn't feel like cooking from scratch every night). I did point out that the downside for Maia is having me as her mum. Still, nice to be complemented.

So, the cake was a roaring success, I must admit that I cooked it for probably almost 55 minutes, but that's my oven for you! It is such a lovely cake - everyone must make this cake

They did scoff the rice, scoff the cake and instantly disappear out of the door with vague shouts about 'going to C......', so I think they've gone to Chloe's but who can really tell? Irresponsible mother, me? Don't even know where 2 11 year olds are .

Right, have cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floor, vaccuumed, changed my mind about dinner for me & DH (I think I'm cooking a sort of schnitzel thing with chicken & bacon, leeks and new potatoes on the side), now just thinking about a cup of tea and feet up before DH comes home and DD2 goes into 'daddy's home' frenzy.

Happy Birthday Spangle!!!

Grumpy re swollen ankles / feet - are yours so huge you can't bend your feet? Have you found anything that works as I am struggling with mine (Can't really get up and down the stairs). Apart from the "put your feet up" advice (yeah, right) I don't know whay else to do. I am hoping that they go right down the moment the placenta is delivered ! I am also hoping the SPD disappears immediately too !

Right, I'm off to look at Blotted's blog to see what cakes to make tomorrow.

llare well done hun and huge congratulations - you did brill on syntocinon with just gas and air - am v proud of you Did you not have a local anaesthetic for your stitches? I INSISTED on having one before they started!

Frazz am v jealous of your birth centre - it sounds FAB. In answer to your question I'm having sweep on Tuesday next and due on Fri next. Been getting lots of strong period pains but they aren't regular and they go away again - hopefully it means something is happening down there?!

Grumpy also jealous of your cooking attitude - i can cook (A level domestic science me..) but god how i hate it, esp at the moment, wish i was up for rustling up schnitzel or spanish rice for my poor DP but i'm not. Struggle to make DD her food at the moment So can I order some takeout from you....

Hope Gert and Jael are both ok and have little bundles to snuggle now. Good luck 1st MrsF for tomo - dble excitement for you x

SPangle happy birthday xx

dive good luck xx

Oh yes Detsy I did have a local for the stitches. In fact I needed the gas and air just for that bit, it was horrendous. I'd well and truly run out of any pain tolerance by then.

Piccys going on FB in a while...

LOL i had gas and air for that bit too - think the thought of it is worse having just put poor ol fanjo thru all that

Can't wait to see the pics!!!

Llare shouldn't you be going to bed?!

Rant alert.... MIL has been on the phone again.... asking AGAIN if I have had the baby yet. Errrrr NO I HAVEN'T !!! Grrrr. Thank goodness she lives 300 miles away so can't pop around very 5 minutes to check the condition of my cervix !

llare, glad you're home, congratulations and absolutely love the name George!

spangle, happy birthday!

to all others impending births - good luck!

i think i'll sign off at the moment as the stories about stitches are worrying me [worried emoticon]. 1st time had had an epidural with the induction so when i was stitched up, didn't feel a thing. 2nd time was a 2nd degree tear, labour ward was busy and didn't get stitched up until 5 hours later . wasn't prepared for the (gulp) experience though G&A helped a bit as did staring at my new DD2. anyway, the MW did a good job as the MW who examined me later said.

i'm seriously considering just asking straight away for an epidural. i know that sounds wimpy but my last 2 experiences make me think i just can't handle pain well. i'll consult the MW at my 40wk appt tomorrow.

anyway, hope all are well this eve and check backin later.

tummum, I'm with you: am getting quite tired of the comments - you still here? not popped yet? etc. with your MIL, does she think you won't tell her ?

Evening ladies- I can't remember being stitched down below when i had DD - don't remember who did them and how long they took - i had had a spinal block luckily so couldn't feel a thing. A friend of mine had to wait 3 hours to be stitched and found it worse than the birth [ouch emoticon].

As for swollen ankles, mine were even worse after delivery- not sure why. I had elephant legs and nearly couldnt leave as my shoes wouldn't go on!

llaregub - lovely to hear your story, well done you! Glad you're home so quickly, and that DS was so welcoming of the new arrival. Enjoy the peace for a moment.

spangle - happy birthday!

1stMrsF - hope all goes well tomorrow. Hope your bath and wine helps relax you, it must be odd knowing it's all going to happen very soon.

dandy - I hate to be the voice of doom () but I was stitched by a surgeon after DD (episiotomy, not tearing) and it wasn't perfect, took ages and she stitched too tightly. I asked my CMW to check for me a few days later, she took the stitches out and the relief was instant! I've had no problems with it since then. I had GnA for the stitches too, I wasn't letting go of that!

All the raving about the jaffa cake cake, maybe I'l try it at the weekend. Sounds great!

Monimo I am actually quite tempted not to tell her, just to be a PITA. FFS, does she really think a) she is being helpful or b) She won't be the 1st to know (well, perhaps the 2nd after my own Mum !

As for the epidural, don't beat yourself up about wanting pain relief. You know better than anyone what labour is like for you and that's what the epidural is there for. If it's an option and will make labour much easier for you to go through, then go for it !

Hmm...stitches...
They kept giving me regular local anasthaetics throughout my seemingly long stitching process. Am sure it took longer than my entire labour. I was really grumpy throughout the stitching - really impatient - but by then I was fed up of legs in stirrups and the Dr who kept poking me hard to soak up the blood. Not felt much pain from either the episiotomy stiches of labia tear stictches though.

HAppy birthday btw Spangle

Good luck 1stMrsF.

Looking forward to hearing more announcements soon.

Hello! Loads to catch up on again.

Looby and Llare - congrats again and welcome back

Re swollen feet, I'm sleeping with mine on 3 pillows at night which is helping a little.

Re poos, Blotted I'm v similar with once a week due to IBS and underactive thyroid but for last 7-10 days have been going once or twice a day! Would be nice to think it means things are close but I'm not due til 10th May and am sure this one is going to be late. Don't know why other than it's my first and my EDD based on when I think I ovulated is 13th.

I popped round to my parents earlier - big mistake. My Dad asked why I hadn't had the baby yet and had falling out with my mum.
Didn't feel like cooking so DH and I got Chinese takeaway.

tummum - lol but grr at your MIL!

all - don't take any notice of stitching stories, it's such a small part of the whole thing!

momino - there's nothing wrong with wanting pain relief. Discuss it with the MW, get all the facts and then see what happens.

thanks tummum. sometimes i feel like i can't win either way, whatever kind of birth i 'choose'. but I will try to get over this feeling before this birth to bring up my confidence.

time for some pasta. see you all later. xx

My ankles have just disappeared into a veritable sea of fluid and my legs ache so badly, I'm not worried as I don't have swelling anywhere else (well, I have fat hands at the moment, but have just finished cooking and then shovelling delicious schnitzel into my fat gob). I do ankle exercises and try to sit with my feet up, but the dishwasher needs loading, DH will need dinner cooking when he gets in........

Everyone is welcome for dinner or just cakes, I love cooking for people but I'm one of those irritating people who hovers anxiously, saying 'is it ok?' in a quavery little voice. I think even I may be reaching the end of my tether with cooking though. Today has rather done me in, I really should have put my feet up!

DH went to work at 7.30am, still not home. He got a decidedly shirty text from me earlier.

Im off to bed shortly, night all.

1stMrsF All the best for tomorrow xxx

Grumpy You are wrong everybody must make the cherry bakewell cake. I only iced it this morning, and there is only a quarter left. [blotted] Thanks so much for the recipe. Think the lemon cake is next.

Spangle Happy Birthday

Llar A tear came to my eye when I read about ds with George.

Dive and Chocolate and 1stMrsF Good luck tomorrow.

Petal Welcome! This thread moves so quickly, I've got it open in 2 windows so I can read, then try and remember everybody. I still fail miserably.

So so sorry if I've missed anybody.

Congratulations llareggub, it sounds like you did fantastically well, and reading about your ds meeting George was just lovely. Makes me want ds to hurry up and arrive so that dd can meet him! (though if the fates are listening: not really please! Have to finishing renovating our house and move back into it first).

Well done too loobylou, sounds like you're managing really well, hang in there with the breastfeeding and enjoy all the cuddling!

Happy birthday spangle! Tummum OMG poor you re mother in law, that would drive me up the wall. Hope you can ignore it.

Momino after thinking throughout this pg that I really want a natural active birth this time round, I am also now seriously thinking about asking for an epidural immediately and don't think you sound wimpy! I saw my physiotherapist last week (what we get in Belgium, she'll be there at the birth and we do antenatal appointments to prepare) and remembering what labour was actually like, I had this sudden revelation of "why the h*ll would I want to do this with no pain relief"??! Curious to know if I can do it and would of course love to, but I was in really good shape last time and didn't manage it and have realised that I have been seriously deluding myself because I am so out of shape, and so tired after going back to work as well as having dd of course, now. I'm a bit disappointed in myself that I can't even manage some determined positive thinking, but when it comes down to it, labour REALLY hurts and I don't think anyone should feel pathetic for having an epidural. Especially if you've had 2 bad experiences before. So I hope your midwife gives you a sympathetic hearing tomorrow .

bugger, I keep posting and then remembering I've forgotten something!

clary sage oil - those of you putting it in the bath, why are you using milk too? The leaflet with the bottle I have says just add 4-6 drops to the bath. And when do you start using it? Am 39 weeks tomorrow! Thanks.

flippin Clary sage will be ok anytime now. The milk is to help emulsify it in the water. You could use oilatum or something similar, or if you put it in right at the begining, it should disperse by the time you get in.

Gaahh I cannot keep up/remember!

chocbunnies have a fabulous wedding day tomorrow, welcome petal, and good luck to those wih babies on the way tomorrow.

blotted I have missed mention of your blog but with all this talk of your cakes, I would love the link!

Now I finally have some time on my hands and we're all (nearly) meeting our babies, I am very pleased to be back with you all and posting some more . Had forgotten how great it was to 'meet' you all when I was feeling really crap a few months ago, and it's so nice to be around now I'm feeling better, and to hear how everyone's doing. Plus of course all your exciting announcements! Really MUST go to bed now though - do hope there's more news by the time I'm back in the morning...

Hi what does the Clary Sage claim to do? Has it done whats its meant to for anyone yet??

Llare the pictures of B meeting G have brought a tear to my eye. How wonderful. Sob. (I also have the same sleep suits for my LO when he is born.) Hope that you are sleeeeeeping now and that tonight goes well.

llaregub - I've just seen the photos too, George is gorgeous, so handsome! As is DS.

I'mm getting a bit (in the nicest possible way, of course) of all these new babies now, can't wait to meet mine too! These last few weeks are really beginning to drag.

I knew there was another thing I'd forgotten - welcome petal! Sorry about that.