Due in June 15 - The competition for first baby is on!!

[katzguk]

Crisp and clean new thread....can't you just smell that new baby aroma!!

Hi Lynny - good to hear from you. Isn't illness annoying? You're probably a much better mother/wife than me - I'd well run out of sympathy by day 2. Anyway hope everyone is feeling better now - I've still got dh upstairs in bed complaining of heaven knows what. Drives me batty - won't go to the doctors. I've told him he can't be around the new baby with some unexplained lurgy etc etc God but they're stubborn sometimes. Rant over.
Red - hope your appointment goes well today.
Bero - hope you're going to have a nice calm day after all that excitement.
I've got an appointment with the Sure Start homeopathy team this morning - they're going to go through things that might help getting over the birth - however it's delivered. Can't believe I get an hour's advice for free - it's a great service.
Then tonight I've booked in for another massage - it really helps my ribs. Everytime this baby grows I get a very sore upper back and sides.
I remembered something useful too. You spend so much time washing your hands around the new little one that they can get incredibly dry and sore. Someone told us to use Carex handwash as it doesn't dry your skin - we've been using it ever since. That's the tip for today from the Welshie household.
Right going to pour water over dh now am a horrid wife!

HIya Lynny. Nice to "see" you.

Don't give DH too much sympathy. It's bad for the male ego. Must keep it in check, you know. Besides, I bet labour (not to mention delivery) hurst a lot more.

Glad you and baby are well. And, as much as you aren't enjoying, glad baby has engaged. I think that's a good sign. Mine prefer not to engage. I'm only 5'-1" so I wonder if that's a sign that my small frame doesn't let them out that way anyway. Oh well doesn't matter. He's being evicted in two days... yippee!!! Then the shop is closing down for good.

Can everyone tell I'm getting rather excited. The end of this bloody pregnancy is so close I can almost touch it. yippee!!!!

Hope everyone else is feeling well.

PS Have I mentioned how nice it is not to go work????? But, boy is my house a tip....

Hi all
Uwila - Two days wow. So exciting. How is the house minus nanny thug?
Top tip from Welshie. I had forgotten that I had cracked and bleeding hands esp as we had a dog too and so seemed to be constantly washing my hands. The best thing to cure this was Neutrogena Unperfumed hand cream. Expensive but you only need a tiny bit and it works miracles.
Bero - Sorry to hear you are having to cope with an IBS attack at the mo and not the start of labour. Glad you got it checked out though to put your mind at rest if nothing else.
Lynny - Good to hear from you. Hope you are all on the mend now. Crikey baby fully engaged already!!! How long has that been. Mine keeps popping in and out. I was told it is less common for the baby to engage before labour the second time round so that is quite exciting. I wonder if it means you will have her early..... I think you will be pleased with your Motherease nappies and wraps. The wraps are bombproof and the nappies are easy to use and very reliable too.
KVG - I have opted for Vit K by mouth (oral drops to be given once a week). This is what dd had and I also didn't want my baby to have a jab on her first day in the world. Some prefer the jab though as it is all over and done with quickly and then you don't need to worry about it again.
I am feeling quite emotional today. DD and I went to the toddler group and her little friend (my friend who is leaving dd) and her were so sweet playing together and calling each other the whole time to show each other things etc. It broke my heart to think they will be gone next week. I really think we lead a crappy lifestyle sometimes not only us moving around but all our friends having to as well. Anyway all for now.
Have had lots of promising twinges down below today too so hoping all is moving in the right direction.

Happy person here - we won the football last night and will be off to Cardiff for the play-off final on 29th May. If this baby comes as early as DS did, I'll only be 4 days away from giving birth . Tea - you might be able to guess who I support by my mumsnet name. Suffice to say, Arsenal aren't my favourite team in the world after 1993 .

Redheadmum, thinking of you today and hope everything is ok.

Berolina, sorry to hear your IBS is causing you problems. It really isn't what you need with only a couple of weeks to go.

Lynny and Welshy - you are both better wives than me. I can't give DH sympathy for more than 5 minutes without getting irritated . Hope his back is better soon Lynny, and that Mr Welshie's mysterious lurgy doesn't develop into full-blown man flu.

Cooperoo, it must be very difficult having someone/something else making decisions that affect your future, where you live etc.

Another one having hot baths here - don't think it will cook the baby as I can't run the water deep enough to cover my belly!

Right, better go and get some lunch. Midwife is coming round soon to talk about home birth. Catch up with you all later.

Hi all Just a quick check in, have a busy few days ahead, my mum coming to stay.

Sorry everyone's dh's seem to be under the weather, they are a nuisance!!

Red, good luck for today ~crosses fingers~

Charley, did you buy the Maya sling yet? I haven't, just wondered if you'd got your mitts on one and can tell me how fabulous it is!

Also, anyone planning on having some essential oils on hand for their short, earth mother, water-birthy type labour which oils are you taking? I have lavender on the list, of course, good for everything, but what else??

OOooh, good question Lippy. I was wondering the same thing. I think Redheadmum is a self-proclaimed hippy type so I bet she will know.

I have a labour spritz that my friend sent for me that contains Jasmine essential oil said to help calm emotions and strengthen resolve. It says to seek medical advice though if you have had problems during pregnancy, have high blood pressure, epilepsy or are taking any other medication. I also have arnica tablets to take and will take my Bach rescue remedy too.
Mrs W - It is weird that someone has so much control over our lives. It is exciting and fun too and you get to meet some wonderful people and have wonderful experiences as we are quite a sociable bunch BUT....I hate it when people have to move on and don't think I will ever get used to that. I always seem to be the one being left too as friends move before me IYSWIM. This is the third 'very good/best' friend that will have had to move away from me in three years and it is quite hard emotionally. That plus the fact DH can be sent away for four months at a time if they want to etc is a bit unsettling. However the job, training and money and security is good for DH and we enjoy it the majority of the time.
It will be down to me to do the talky bit at her meal on Friday too and I am seriously worried about holding it all together. I am crap at that sort of thing anyway. Will blame my preg hormones. I have been very tearful all day today about it so hopefully I will be all cried out by Friday. I have been in denial a bit but now keep thinking this will be our last time at toddlers together, our last time at music group etc etc. I see her every day so it will leave quite a hole. Anyway that is enough banging on about me. Sorry for feeling sorry for myself .

Cooperoo - don't beat yourself up about feeling sad about missing her. If she's a good friend then it's only right that you feel bad - it's a way of honouring the friendship. Also I think it shows what a good person you are that you continue to be able to build friendships knowing that they might not last forever - you're not a hard person who's first instinct is to protect herself.
I'll join you on the tearfulness front today. I'm just back from my first homeopath appointment, she asked me how I felt now about my m/c and I just cried all over her. Strange, you think you're over something then those pg hormones just let you feel it all over again.

Hmmm since I have had a relatively ok pregnancy, I'll assume I am fine for most oils, but will try and check up with someone... Jasmine sounds nice

Awww Welshie. Poor you. I think sometimes you just carry on and then one person says one thing (usually a kind thing too) and you end up in floods. Did you find it perhaps helped a little bit? I am fortunate in that I have not lost a baby and so can't really know how you feel but know it must be heartbreaking and something you try to cope with rather than get over...Hope this makes sense and doesn't upset you further.

I would def rather put up with my sort of upset and have great memories than be lonely. I know we will keep in touch too. I know a lot of the lovely people I meet and get on well with will fall by the wayside because practically you can't keep up with them all and this is accepted by all because of the lifestyle, but every now and then you meet a diamond. Email is FANTASTIC too and gives you a fighting chance of keeping in touch especially when we all move around so much.

Afternoon ladies

Mrs W - yup had guessed by the name - in fact had thought of the football connection first time I saw it - not a normal girlie reaction but dh had to marry someone as footie mad as him!! Ds was due during the middle of the 2002 world cup and the mw promised us a room with a tv should everything kick off during an England game! Have bought the cutest little gunner babygro for dd-to-be, and dh doesn't know about it so I will surprise him with her in it when he comes to take us home...when she arrives

Welshie - kind words have alot to answer for at the best of times let alone when you're pg, hope you're feeling abit better now.

Coop - definitely agree email is fab - I would have lost contact with loads of old workmates years ago if it weren't for email.

Bero - sorry to hear it's been an attack of IBS - hope it all dies down quickly. Do your attacks last long? Mine are more of an intolerance than ibs itself, but the symptoms are similar...at least I only get an attack tho if I eat the wrong thing so will power allowing I can avoid severe attacks.

Red - hope all went ok today

Lynny - yeah for your ocado bargain...not sure if this site has the relevant threads, but the bounty site users regularly post codes for various shops to get bargain discounts...have done very well myself amassing boots points in the past!

Trib - that's an excellent comment iro Strep B / HIV testing !

Right my day hasn't been quite as relaxing as yours was yesterday Welshie (have been mowing, strimming and weeding my overgrown jungle today) but I've saved myself a rather large chockie bar to gorge on before I pick ds from mil , so shall just go and put the kettle on and put my feet up for a mo...x

Katz has a whole load of info on essential oils for labour, after her aromatherapy session last week. I seem to recall clary sage (?) being mentioned as a good one to speed things up but I will leave her to advise fully.

Welshie, sorry to hear about your upset. When it comes to tears, it's definitely better out than in.

Coop, I know what you mean about friendships when you live a very nomadic lifestyle. Email and IM are great for keeping in touch, it's weird to think of the days when I went to live in Mexico (1993!) and could only communicate with friends by letter, which could take months to arrive, if they ever did. What fun!

Re: vit K, I will be going for the injection as there's a family history of a condition that means getting a good dose quickly is important. Bubs will just have to cope with it alas!

Sounds like my dh should giving lessons on how to be a good patient, obviously he has more practice than most in being ill but he is generally pretty good.

Coop - Yep I'm feeling much better now - and you're right, some days I just think a good cry is what's called for - very therapeutic. Just took me by suprise I guess - some of it will have to do with knowing the in-laws are about to arrive. The last time I saw them was in NZ when they didn't deal v sensitively with the m/c at all. Now we have to get over that memory too. Although part of me is thinking 'sod it' , they'll just have to muck in with whatever's going on here when they arrive.
Very impressive gardening Tea - I'm hoping to do a bit tomorrow if the weather is good.
I've packed my hospital bag today which feels like a bit of a milestone. Hey ho

okay have scanned into my computer the info i was given on aromatherapy and pregnancy, if anyone wants it then email me on
katzguk(@)hotmail.co.uk remove the brackets.

They should print okay! they are pictures but small.

by they are pictures i mean they are jpeg files not word documents but becasue they are only text they are small - does that make more sense?

Teabelly - your £1 arrived thanks

evening all,
cant believe theres so much to catch up on and its only been a day!
welshie-im also getting really sleepy & find i need to have a nap during the day for a couple of hours.if i dont im absolutely exhusted!

charley-think i might phone the ward and ask about tours.i suppose it is better to have a rough idea of how they operate rather than being completely in the dark

jonah-glad your enjoying being a lady of leisure now.i find the day goes really quick and im still getting up fairly early in the morning.im also one for hot baths but have cooled them down over the last few months.normally it would take me a minute or so to get in as they were so hot

kvg-glad you've finally got your birth plan sorted out.i havent even started on mine yet but i have packed my bags,just in case and they are lined up by the front door like soldiers.

lynny-nice to see you back.hope everyone in the lynny household is feeling a bit better tonight.sounds like you got a great deal at ocado

coop-ive also got really dry hands at the mo with cracked skin & have been using a vaseline handcream which isnt that good.think i'll try that neutrogena one-hopefully it'll do the job.sorry to hear of your friends leaving.must be really awful for you.my "best" friend emigrated to australia a few years ago which was quite emotional,especially as i dont know when i'll see her again.

mrs w-glad your team won on monday.must admit i did wonder where your mumsnet name came from

bero-sorry to hear of your IBS.i know exactly how you feel as i suffer from IBS & food intollerances quite badly that sometimes i cant even leave the house.stress always makes it 10x worse for me,so much so that my dh is dreading driving me to hospital when the time comes as i'll probably be shouting at him to stop at every toliet in sight before we get there!!

rhm-hope everything went well for you today

had an appointment with the doctor yesterday who told me that the babys head isnt actually engaged after all.the midwife and consultant have told me that it is but apparently now its not! has anyone else been told this before?
im sure it is engaged and i have been told it is a little harder to tell(with me being a little larger!)so now im really confused.the baby has definately"dropped down" over the last few weeks and is constantly pressing on my bladder as im going to the loo alot more and the bump feels so much heavier when im walking!
also since yesterday ive been getting quite a few BH-some have actually been very uncomfortable and i did have a slight panic at one point-especially as its the "unknown"

Nobody's baby has turned up just yet has it? Gosh it all seems a bit too soon. I hope I don't get any false contractions Though I must say I have had the runs a bit lately. But no contractions thank goodness.

Good luck Uwila

Oh Lippy I forgot you lived in a biking place I had images of you getting knocked off your bike going through something like central bristol - where I generally try to run bikers into the pavement

Well hope everyone is ok.

hey everyone

thanks so much for all yr messages and fingers x

Oh I'm so relieved it went really well today. The paedatrician sat down with us and spent 20 mins drawing diagrams and clearly explained what was wrong with the kidneys. It turns out that the problem is mild and that he does not expect to have to operate at all. It's a question of scanning after the baby is born and anti-biotics. Me and Dh are just so relieved, we v much got the impression from the consultant and scan last time that it was much more serious. Actually writing this I feel rather tearful, I hadn't realised just how worried I was......(sniff, sniff)

Plus I can have my home birth (at least keep it booked anyway....)

on the topic of homebirth...er sorry Mrs W I'm only doing the lavender oil (probably). I hate to confess to this knowledge, but I'll be using homeopathy and its not always good to mix the two, sometimes one can work against the other. I plan to have water with Bach Rescue remedy in it for me and midwives and Dh, and me homeopath pos on hand to give prescriptions.

Mrs W - are you hiring a pool, if so from where? I'm toying with either splashdown or good birth co.

Oh that is good news Redheadmum, you must be so relieved. And fantastic that the homebirth is still on the cards too. Hope everyone else is OK - particularly Bero, hope you're feeling a bit better and more comfortable.

I've had a mad fit of cleaning today, decluttering the study/general dumping ground that will be the baby's room so that dh can get the cot etc down from the loft this weekend. Had a very bad mummy moment when I noticed a funny smell in the room and then realised that ds had discovered a hip flask (? I was unaware that dh even had one and certainly have no idea why it would be in there - questions in the house tonight I think) and that the smell was of stale brandy . Am fairly sure that it was just drops and that ds had shaken it out over the carpet rather than into himself, at least, he seemed to be walking in a straight line and didn't smell like a wino (the carpet did though). Then loaded all the rubbish into the car to go to the tip and the bloody thing wouldn't start so a visit from the RAC, a trip to the garage and £60 later I have a new battery. And a boot full of rubbish still because I couldn't be bothered going to the tip after all that. And I still haven't finished the room, so will be at that for the rest of the week I think.

Redheadmum, that's brilliant news. You must be so relieved. And great news about the homebirth too. I'm not going to bother with a birthing pool, I don't think. With DS I found being in water made me feel claustrophobic and actually made the pain worse - I needed to be moving around. Saw the midwife today about my home birth and I'm all set - paperwork filled in etc, now I just need to buy some plastic sheeting. She also told me we will need a torch! I have to say, I really don't know the difference between homeopathy and essential oils etc, I'm a complete novice when it comes to that sort of thing (as you might have guessed). Hope I didn't offend by calling you a hippy, it was meant in a nice way, honest!

Blimey Mrs F, you have been busy - must be nesting. Nightmare about the car though. The nesting thing hasn't happened to me yet, it took all my energy to drag myself round Mothercare this afternoon.

I know this is a stupid question and I should know the answer, but what sort of stuff will I need for a new baby???? I've bought some nappies, some bottles (just in case), some short sleeved and long sleeved sleep suits and that's it. I'm sure I'm missing something vital (have got cot, car seat, pram, steriliser).

Tea, love the idea of the gunner baby-gro. Hope you and DH are still friends by the end of Saturday

Welshie, sorry you've had an emotional upheaval today, but hope you feel better...everyone needs a good cry now and again (did it myself at the hairdressers once after my m/c, very embarrassing). When do the in-laws arrive?

Coops, it won't matter if you do cry on Friday, at least it will come from the heart. Is there any chance you'll end up in the same place at a later date? Are they coming back to the UK?

Uwila, can't believe you've only got a couple of days to go!!! The first Junie is on the way...Tea, bloody well get a move on, I had you down as first in the sweepstake

Hi everybody! I have been following the thread, but have not been able to properly sit in the computer for a while. Had a workshop thingy at work that kept me away from my computer, and at home we are madly trying to keep up with the builder's mess. It doesn't look like we'll get all done before baby comes.... but I figure as long as the rooms upstairs are clean it will be ok.

RH so glad to hear that kidney problem is probably something minor. Keeping my fingers crossed for your home birth!

Mrs.W very envious of your plans too! Hope all goes well to you too! BTW I don't understand how your knickname relates to your team.... I like footie, but am still a bit ignorant about british trivia... could you enlighten me?

Pink, glad to hear you are getting on a bit better. I couldn't do it on my own, so you are a hero in my book!

Coop I got your check and it is in a pile somewhere to be cashed. Hope that doesn't cause you any problems... Sorry to hear about your friend's departure!

Tea, berolina, let's get things moving! We don't want to leave Uwila all by herself talking about how wonderful her bundle of joy is!

I set the crib up this weekend and wash the last of the clothes. We baked a cake with DD for baby's arrival home and she is getting so excited! Feel more than ready and starting to panick that something is going to go wrong! I feel like I am jinxing it by assuming all it will be ok... Am I going mad?!

Hi ladies,

Just to let you know that BRANDON RICHARD was born on 14.05.05 at 8.39am, weighing 6lbs 9ozs.

He was born at 36 weeks 6 days and came quickly in 2 hours.

As you can imagine I am still in shock and I only finished work on the Friday, 13th, so its been a whirlwind.

The funniest thing wss that I hadn't packed my bag and DH was racing round like a mad thing putting in whatever he thought best!!!

Hope you are all ok and love to you all xxx

Congratulations cobweb!! well no one predicted that!!!

RHM - congrats on the scan news

No twinges here so wil now experience 37 weeks plus for the first time!!

Just in case anyone missed my earlier post i hvae the info on aromatherapy and pregnancy scanned into the computer and can email it anyone who wants it, if you email me on
katzguk @ hotmail.co.uk