Due May 09 - patta cake, jaffa cake, bakers man bring me a baby as fast as you can!

[Momino]

Here we go....

I thought you had left me to it as well detsy!! I think something has happened with flippin hope she has LO in her arms now.

ooh posted before reading whole thread so mention and congrats to dandy and bekka too. And good luck to pula for tomorrow.
And alapala hope your DS is feeling better now. Having just spent 2 nights on a childrens ward, it brought tears to my eyes to hear one little boy crying and saying he wanted to go home. It must have been awful for you and him. Hope he makes a full recovery.

Prob back in a minute in case have forgotten anyone else. Oh yes cote. Hope you are ok too!

Congratulations Belgian, Dandy and bekkaboo! More beautiful names! Belgian well done for coping with no drugs - it sounds like everything was VERY fast and furious!

Welcome to clove, I hope you're not waiting too long for your baby to arrive! Plenty of company here that are getting pretty fed up of waiting.

alapala I hope your ds is better soon and you can get some rest and de-stress a bit. Poor both of you.

llareggub it's good to hear you're finding it ok to adjust to life with baby n°2. I'm quite nervous about that! Especially as dd was/is the easy baby you dream about and never expect to get - I can't imagine that sort of luck striking us twice...

And blotted I hope you are feeling better soon too, what a horrible weekend. I doubt thinking about cake is likely to help much but dh and I have just polished off the remains of your cherry bakewell and it is well and truly brilliant!

Good luck with the cs tomorrow pula. Must be so exciting to know that you'll be holding your baby soon (and possibly a bit nervewracking!).

Well I am having plenty of aches, pains and twinges too, like fi. Plenty of bh as well. Am really hoping that this means nothing though! 3 weeks till the due date and don't want him to arrive yet, too much to sort out! With dd and house moving (back at home next Sunday, renovations will be finished yay!) I am having such trouble being less active/busy even though I can feel it getting to the bump & my back.

re ladygardens - I am booked tomorrow for the full wax! It's a way of testing my pain tolerance threshold in the fanjo area before going into labour . I got so fed up of the terrible thicket it's become and decided that if it might be 'necessary' in hospital anyway, I might as well sort it out now - last time they hurriedly shaved me totally in case of an episiotomy, which I was a bit shocked about at the time. If I hadn't had the epidural I would have been furious at all that faffing around! Right now though I am wondering if I was a little bit insane to book it, especially as dh has just admitted he hardly cares one way or the other anyway . And I thought I was doing him a favour, if only as an afterthought .

Ladyhelen - men, eh? grrrrr. I really feel for you. Hope you have told him how you are feeling.

Something worth trying is to pump from one boob when R feeds off the other- it just sounds to me like you are not getting your letdown, and sometimes you have more chance of getting this if R is triggering it on the other side- I have done this myself, but it might be too tricky, depending on whether you need 2 hands to hold R in place. Would DH oblige with the pump? I know it seems like you are taking milk from R if you do it at the same time (not sure if you do both sides at each feed or just one but even if its both, there will always be milk there for him even if you've expressed).

Also i think expressing if very psychological (sp?) and i find it easier if i feel "full" so if you are worrying about producing enough milk, then that might also explain it. So if i was expressing in between feeds which were say 3 hours apart, i would express after 2 hours, when the milk levels were up again (or if i wanted to boost supply but not necessarily express a lot, then i would do it at the end of a feed- there might only be a few drips but if it makes the body think more is needed then its got to be good in the longer-term). I'm by no means an expert in these matters (might be worth posting on the BF thread for advice) but i did express for 8 months with DD and DS so this is just what i've found from my experience. I also mixed-fed DD and actually her early health was much better than DSs who was exclusively BF and had a lot of ear and other viral infections (although guess DD might have brought some of these home from nursery for him!). Also I mentioned the other night that taking fenugreek (available from health food stores such as H&B) is one way to boost supply too.

ladyhelen all that expressing sounds like really hard work, I'm not surprised at your reaction to your dh. I hope things improve for you, one way or another, soon.

Have just glanced at my previous post and am rather amazed that I actually said that about ladygardens . You lot have obviously mn'ed your way into my confidence without me even noticing! I mean that's more detail than I usually talk about with myself fgs! Or maybe in real life I'm just a tremendous prude??

Ho hum, off to bed. Good night to you all!

LOL @ Detsy and your dream birth - Can I order one of those too.

I too have a sweep (ahem) booked for tomorrow, I say that lightly because they haven't managed to reach for the last 2 - I'm hoping after this past week of 'false labour' things may have moved around to a more reachable position as it were. else I'm in for yet another bruising tomorrow. nice

TMI alert - I have terrible wind tonight, think I need to lay off the spicy food for a couple of days since it's not working else could be rather

belgian - congratulations! Wow, that was fast.

dandy - congratulations to you too!

Bekka - and to you too!

cote - good news that things have improved.

Apologies if I missed some other news - I've been a bit busy thinking about my own!

DD2 was born at home this morning at 11:15. Currently nameless! She weighed 8lb 3oz, which surprised us as DD1 was only 6lb 15oz.

Anyway, as I mentioned first thing this morning things were happening but not rapidly. CMW came to see me, and examined me at 9, contractions were about 4.5 minutes apart but I was only 4cm dilated. Just after 10 she was just getting organised to go off and do some other appts and was planning to come back at lunch time when all of s sudden the contractions were every minute with no gaps. Managed until 10:50 on gas and air but then needed to push - DD2 was born at 11:15, before the second MW has arrived. Physiological 3rd stage, and placenta was delivered at 11:45 and was huge!! I tore a little along my episiotomy scar and needed a few stitches (which I was expecting) and also a graze too. They don't feel too bad, but OMG I feel bruised this time - don't remember that from last time!! Anyone know how much arnica to take post-birth?

Oh, and that conversation about crowning? Yes, it hurt. But it wasn't as bad as I was expecting!!! The afterpains are killing me though.

DD2 is beautiful, chunky, with loads of very dark hair. She's fed brilliantly a few times, but is now fast asleep on DH.

DD1 was at the chilminders today - she noramlly goes on Mondays so it worked really well, we managed to pretend everything was normal this morning, and everything was all cleared up when she came home this evening to meet baby!

I am so pleased to have had this LO at home, it was fab.

Pula is absolutely right about fenugreek, I was taking that too and it did help increase supply.

Really am off now...

Ooh congratulations flippineck!! Another lovely birth story, sounds really perfect especially the way things worked out with dd1! So glad crowning not as bad as expected, I will prepare for the worst now .

Am getting rather worried about super quick labour though. We need a good 30-60 mins to get to our hospital...

flippineck flippineck! Babies coming thick and fast. Congratulations on nameless lo. That weight difference was similar to dd (6lb10) and ds (8lb3). Glad all went well.

flippineck- congratulations- nearly didn't see your announcement then in between the other name checks!

Wow, another speedy one! I have never seen my placenta, although DH did (can't remember which delivery) and it grossed him out (size, colour, texture etc).

Glad the HB experience was so positive for you. Look forward to hearing DD2s name in due course.

Go for it euromum - I had the braziliam treatment a few weeks ago - stupidly thinking that LO would be early...durr, still ok tho!

Ahhh Febes good on ya girl - lets stick together It gets lonely when people on same due date are successful before you! Not heard anything from flip but guess she's in hospital, labour, post natal ward with a little pink thing - can't wait to hear!!

DP gone to play football, I'm off to bed to rub some magical clary sage into the jelly factory

Nite all xxx

Ahh Flip CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Your HB sounds excellent - you must be so proud and another v fast labour gosh, well done you, so glad you are snuggling your little pink daughter. Did you know she was a girl or was she a surprise?? So so pleased for you - the first of us 3 on 8 May to pop xxxx

What a busy day! COngratulations Bekkaboo belgianchocs Dandylioness and flippineck

So far :
10 BOYS
10 GIRLS

BORN

1ST APRIL 2009 :
SpangleMaker, BOY - Harvey, 9:55, 5lb 12oz, 35+3 (first child)

23RD APRIL 2009 :
LoobyLou36, GIRL - Matilda Rose, 5.53am, 8lb 3oz, 38+4 (first child)
Reggiee, BOY, Ben, 7lb 8, 39 weeks (DD age 22 mo)

24TH APRIL 2009 :
EmmalinaC, GIRL, Niamh Elizabeth, 9.56am, 6lb 2oz, unplanned vbac! 38+5wks (DD aged 2.4)

29TH APRIL 2009 :
llareggub, BOY, George, 8am, 7lb 9oz, VBAC (DS1 2.5)
gert2a, GIRL, Edith Ann Elaine, 10.14am, 7lb 10oz, ELCS (first child)

30TH APRIL 2009 :
Jael, BOY, Jacob, ELCS (DD aged nearly 3)

1ST MAY 2009:
1stMrsF, TWIN GIRLS, Amelia Carys (7lb 6.5oz) and Georgiana Bronwen (6lb 12oz), c-section 14.06 and 14.07

2ND MAY 2009 :
Divedaisy, GIRL, Sofiah Rose, 00:47am (DS age 6)
Momino, GIRL, 04.05am Harper Grace, 8lb 1oz.(DD age 3 and DD age 1.5)
Tummum, BOY, Gethin Thomas, 9pm, 9lb 1oz (2 DDs)
LadyHelen, BOY, Rufus, 2.15am (DS 3.7)

6TH MAY 2009 : Aquababe, BOY, Ethan, 4:51am, 8lb 6

8TH MAY 2009: bekkaboo, GIRL, Evie Mae, 7lbs (DS age 2)

9TH MAY 2009 :
Daizydoo, BOY, Jasper, 2:08am, 8lbs (DS age 2)
Ses, BOY, Owen Edward, 10:17am, 8lb 9oz, born by section

11TH MAY 2009:
Belgianchocolates, GIRL, Claire, 4.49am, 9lb 10oz (DS 7, DD 5)
Dandylioness, BOY, Hector Frank, 6lb 9oz, 1:25, emcs (DD age 4)
Flippineck, GIRL, still to be named, 11:15am, 8lb 3oz (DD1 2yr1m)

..............................

COMING SOON!!

Pulapula - ELCS booked for 12 May
Bantam73 - IOL booked for 14 May
CoteDAzur- ELCS booked for 20 May

........................
DUE 1ST MAY: 41+3
bantam73, (DD1 17yrs+ DD2 3ys 6m) surprise

DUE 8TH MAY: 40+3
Detsy, (UK, Cheshire - DD will be 18 months)BOY!
Febes, (DD age 12 months). SURPRISE!!

DUE 9TH MAY: 40+2
Jennster, (DD will be 3y3m, DS will be 22m) GIRL

DUE 11TH MAY: 40
Cloveofhislife, 2 DCs already

DUE 12TH MAY: 39+6
Minimenace, (DS age 19 months) SURPRISE!

DUE 13TH MAY: 39+5
ReeBee, (first child), BOY!

DUE 14TH MAY: 39+4
Lazzer SURPRISE!!

DUE 15TH MAY: 39+3
FiKelly 38yrs, (DS 2y9m in May) GIRL!!
Nauseous, (first baby), SURPRISE!.

DUE 16TH MAY: 39+2
Frazzledoldbag ,(DD1 age 7, DD2 age 2) BOY!!
Sarahken, (DS age 3) SURPRISE!!
Hypatia, (first child) - surprise

DUE 17TH MAY: 39+1
HtheH ,(first child) BOY - they think!
emmabemmasmom, 2nd (DD) GIRL!!

DUE 20TH MAY: 38+5
Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa,(DD age 11, DD age 4) SURPRISE!!

DUE 22ND MAY: 38+3
chocolatebunnies, (dd age 2)

DUE 23RD MAY: 38+2
Runningmonkey ,(first child), probably BOY!!

DUE 25TH MAY: 38
Alapala , (DS 2) BOY!
pulapula ,(DD 4, DS nearly 2, Sheffield, elective cs 12 May) BOY!!
Sophietom (first baby) BOY!
lehowell

DUE 26TH MAY: 37+6
rosielady,(DS age 3)

DUE 27TH MAY: 37+5
Sausagenmash (first baby)

DUE 28th MAY: 37+4
Blottedcopybook (DS 8, DS 3 & DD 22m) GIRL!
CoteDAzur, 38, (DD 3) BOY!! ELCS

DUE 29TH MAY: 37+3
MsG, (First child) SURPRISE!!

DUE 30TH MAY: 37+2
euromum, (DD age 18m), BOY!

DUE 31ST MAY: 37+1
MatthewAndBumpsMummy, (DS age 3yrs 6mths), BOY!!

flippineck well done you. Glad you are keeping up with the speedy labours!
pula thanks for the advice. I'll go and get the fenugreek tomorrow! Will try some of your other tips too.
R just waking so time for another feed,
flip hope you have a peaceful night with your new LO. Let us know when she has a name.

HI.
bekkaboo - lovely news, congrats and beautiful name. Lovely to hear from you, hope you're feeling ok.

detsy and mini I too am being 'swept' (!) tomorrow - and am unreasonably excited about it [bizarre emoticon] Indeed, it may well be the highlight of my week . My sweepage is scheduled for 3pm then DH has friends coming round to watch the football. He has strict instructions NOT TO DRINK JUST IN CASE. We'll see. Maybe I should get him drunk so that sod's law will kick in and i"ll go into labour. (actually, no that would be too awful).

Grrrrrr MIL phoned DH tonight to see if the baby has been born yet. He thought this was perfectly reasonable of her. I (for some reason) lost the plot a bit and said 'Duh, she's supposed to be looking after the DC when I'm in labour, so she'll bloody know about it when it happens!).......AND THEN apparently she'd added that she'd prefer it if we could drop the DC off at her house on the way to hosp to save her driving to us (about 10 mins drive). WTF - yeah, great idea, at 3am to wake up an 8 and 2 yr old and put them in the car to take them to her house whilst yelling my head off in the throes of labour. She is a crazy lady. And she PISSES ME OFF. Grrrrrrr. Unfortunately we have no choice really for childcare as my father and wife have GONE AWAY ON HOLIDAY (although they did advise me to cross my legs for the week). Nice. And everyone else who has offered has kids of their own so we would have to take our DC's there (and wouldn't do that anyway unless really, really stuck). God, it's a nightmare.

About milk supply/expressing etc - sounds very hard for you ladyh - I've bought some capsules off the 'Breastfeeding Heaven' website called 'More Milk Plus' which have fenugreek and a selection of other milk producing herbs in them - apparently they do work - so much so that if you take too many you'd get engorged so they say. Maybe that would be worth a try to help boost supply. Otherwise just keep going, sounds like you're doing a brilliant job.

I have become obsessed by ironing (have done about 6 hours in the last 24) - and have some bedding in the tumble drier that i:m just itching to iron in a minute. Very strange. I don't think I've done 6 hrs ironing in total in the whole of the last year!

Insomnia is a bitch isn't it? ...... waking up hungry and not being able to get back to sleep at 5am is particularly irritating. Gah. Even more annoying when in a week or two I'll be begging to be allowed to lie down in the dark and sleep uninterrupted.

Have just had some (more) Guinness - someone tell me it's good for me?

BTW just remembered about my friend who went for a sweep. She stood there, took her knickers off in preparation and her waters broke all over the floor!!!! The doc said it was the best sweep he'd ever done. Fingers crossed for a bit of that tomorrow.

detsy you alright honey - been very quiet of late?

Right off to switch on the iron.
Night all x x

OH NO FLIPPIN I cross posted - HUGE HUGE CONGRATULATIONS. Well done you x x x x x
This has been a brilliant day for babies!!!

Well, it's all suddenly sped up on here today!

Congratulations to dandy, bekka, and flippin.

Pula, good luck for tomorrow, looking forward to more news from you.

Am a bit freaked out that am moving towards the top of the due list - but also dead excited. Have booked my 3 hour hair appt for 13th so if as expected nothing happens at least I'm having a productive day!

My SIL and brother had their second DS last Thurs - 4.5 hr labour, home water birth, 10lbs 4oz, no stitches needed - not sure whether to laugh or cry... bearing in mind sod's law and the great births on this thread so far, what are the odds of mine being a shocker?!

'night all xx

congrats flippineck Sounds like you had a lovely h/b and you got to use g&a . Those naughty ambulance people wouldn't give it to me because they wanted to see what was happening first . I wonder what a half naked woman, clinging on a birthing ball on her knees in th living room, screaming "AWW AWW AWW, I'm going to have to push, it's coming" looks like to them!? A heart attack?

We're back to a 50/50 split between boys and girls!

Ladyhellen I've heard good things about fenugreek too. With ds I also only managed to get decent amounts of milk off if I expressed from 1 side while he fed from the other. Def worth a try.

Sending lots of good labour vibes to all overdue ladies and all fed up ladies too.

Off to bed now to catch up on sleep. Have been up since 3am, so it's about time!

By the way what are the opinons on co-sleeping on here. Wondering if it's worth a try this time (never really done before). Have also got an Amby Hammock to try (plus a moses basket for daytime naps downstairs) - have always been nervous of co-sleeping but am thinking about it in order to actually achieve some sleep in the first few weeks/months this time (unlike last time - nightmare gah).
Anyway sleep tight all of you with little ones to look after. Can't wait to join you!

just popped on to see who's had the next baby: congratulations flippin! hope you're getting sleep and enjoying your little one.

good night all. see you at 5.30am or so when harper wakes me up.

belgian - can't believe those stupid ambulance people not giving you any G&A when you're clearly in labour. I'd have been livid. Same thing happened to a girl I know recently - in labour with 2nd child, in ambulance, screaming for G&A and wouldn't give her it - only when they saw her DS's head starting to emerge did they switch the sirens and blue lights on and actually take her seriously . They said she 'didn't need it yet' - baby was born minutes later. Again, I'd have been bloody furious.
(God, I bet something equally traumatic will happen to me now - yikes, have got a big BH contraction just thinking about it - well I assume it's a BH!!!!)

frazzled- I co-slept now and again with DD and DS when I couldn't settle them back in their moses basket. But I too am nervous about it (would only do it if DH moved to spare bed and i removed all pillows) and found i never slept as deeply as when they were settled so in the end it was worth trying to get them used to the basket. A friend of mine is lending me a "snuggle nest" which i think has sides around LO head and chest so that you can't roll onto them. I would feel more comfortable using that.

We found out yesterday that my DHs brother and his wife are expecting their second baby in Nov. So that makes it my brother (July), my sister (Sept) and DHs brother (Nov) all having babies this year- funny how we are all 2 months apart!

Oh pula that's fab news - and so nice for all the little baby cousins to be so close in age. Will be fun when they are older!
Might try a bit of co-sleep but worry about duvets, pillows etc too.

Flippineck Congratulations - nearly missed your announcement there. Another amazingly speedy birth - reckon it must be that full moon.

Frazzle I sympathise with you about the parents and childcare thing. My mum has now offered to meet us at the hospital so we can transfer DS into her car and she will take him home from there.
She lives 10 mins closer to the hospital than we do but has asked that I can give her plenty of notice so that she can prepare herself.
I can just imagine us in the early hours of the morning, me in labour, waiting in the hospital car park for my parents to show up - because mum needed to put her face on.
please please please why can't labour start at 8am in the morning. trends on this threads show more (unscheduled) births happening in the early hours. Why is that ???

anyway frazzle good luck with your sweep tomorrow and may it be pain free and simple. Oh and Guiness has LOTS of iron and is fab for your blood or did I just make that up.