Due November 2009 - who is going to go 'pop' first?

[BeckyBendyLegs]

Here it is!

Oooh was hoping for news of Broodzilla! Hope she is doing ok.

I saw the midwife today who was really lovely. She is all for me having a c-section due to the severity of my spd although she did say that I will have to be very determined with the consultant as the one I am seeing on Thursday is not a push over. Well, sorry but given I can hardly walk as it hurts to move my legs apart, I'm not sure how on earth they expect me to give birth naturally! Maybe it will be easier than she has led me to believe, and she has written in my notes that she thinks it would be the best option in the circumstances. She also said if the consultant says no then she will refer me to a different consultant, so she obviously thinks it's necessary!

Sorry you had problems with the consultant today wook. I hope you are able to get the birth you want and is best for you.

OMG just checked in and seen Brrodzilla's news!! Eeeek! Hope everything is OK, how exciting - our thread is really getting going now! Seriously though, I hope you are being well looked after and that your DH is now with you.

Southernbelle I hadn't realised your SPD was so bad That's terrible. Good luck with the consultant on Thursday. Have you met him before?

Tamlin am shocked that a HV would tell you not to breastfeed just because you're pregnant!!! Everyone knows that's nonsense!! Surely you can request another?

BTW re cats/raspberry leaf - found mine (my cat, that is) practically inhaling my handbag and realised there is a bag of the teabags in there, so think there may be something which is attractive to cats in the stuff... Luckily he doesn't know how to boil the kettle so I think we should be OK!

Right - need to catch up on the day... Hope Broodzilla posts soon

Wizzywoo I had third-degree tear quite bad first time and needed stitches under spinal anaesthetic and only small tiny second-degree ones second time with no stitches needed - they were only just 'second-degree'.

Wow you lot you chat so much I can't keep up!

We've just walked to the library and back and around town and I am soooo knackered. I find it really hard to slow down though.

I don't even know who my HV is since we moved, if I even have one (for DS2). There isn't a HV clinic at the local doctors so no idea what happens after litle baby arrives. Perhaps in Shropshire you just get on with it!

wizzywoo Lissyglitter and I haven't arranged to meet up again but I'd like to. Do you want to email me and we can arrange a time that suits us all? It's laurafraine AT hotmail. com
We should do it while we can all still walk waddle, especially since you're feeling the baby settling into position!

tamlin on DS regressing: DD is 3 next month and today has asked to have her drink from a cup with a lid "like a baby, has refused to eat unless I feed her "like a baby" and has had 3 accidents (we only just felt like we'd conquered potty training about a fortnight ago) . Help!

southernbelle good to hear the midwife is definitely on your side, but sorry to hear you can barely walk. That must be very hard work.

I haven't even thought about packing a bag. Is it a really bad idea to plan to pack when the first pains start...? I have bought some maternity pads and breast pads, but everything else I'll probably use before then .

Rotating my hips belly dancer-stylee in sympathy with broodzilla...

Please, somebody tell me the health visitor doesn't just turn up, do they? This place is a tip!

dont think they do laugs, we got letters telling us date and time hv would arrive a week or two before hand.

Good luck Broodzilla! My my,it's starting! Realized this morning is only 3 weeks to go. Even dh wants to start preparing things, which more than anything is a sign of how close we are...

Very sorry for all those whose DP have no work-that's really hard! I wouldn't know how to handle that either, I'm always worried about money.

Ugh, dd1 is going through the trash. she decided to nix all her naps, be terribly cranky instead and do whatever she wants. sigh Was unreasonably hoping for a less difficult phase when dd2 arrives...

Laugs I wouldn't leave packing till the last minute- you may be like me with DD. 36 weeks, having the odd braxton hicks but nothing alarming, then out of nowhere, waters broke and straight into really painful contractions 3 minutes apart. I was naked when they started, and it was all I could do (with DPs help) to put clothes on and ring my mum for a lift!

I have just come from a lecture in the hottest lecture theatre in the WORLD! Honestly, they must have had the heating on full or something. It set off loads of BH and I got alarmed looks on the metro home as I kept wincing and holding my bump. Seems to have calmed down now though.

Just popping in to see if there is any news from broodzilla? Still thinking about you and sending happy labour vibes

skorpion - you are very welcome to join us in the late gang, but just to warn you - all these babies arriving/imminent means that DH and I have got a panic on and just burned our VISAs red-hot with ordering a car seat, sling, monitor and multiple baby clothes/blankets and labour bag stuff too. Oh and I ordered the moses basket last night!

So we have gone from zero to...well, quite a lot. Hope it's all needed and we haven't got carried away.

I know now I will be here til 14th December just looking at all that stuff sitting unused .

Can I join the late gang too? I'm due on the 26th, but DD was 14 days late. With these early births I am imagining we'll be rattling around in here come December.

How exciting about your shopping spree raggie. It all sounds like stuff you'll need.

Just popped in again quickly to see if there's any news about our expectant mummy... Really hope all's going well Broodzilla... Tamlin My HV is fantastic, very down to earth and non-judgemental. On the other hand, I feel the same way you do about your HV about my MW - she's soooo dismissive of questions, as if I should know it all (she was like that when I was having DD so it's not as if she thinks that I should know stuff being pregnant again...). If you feel that strongly about your HV, it might be a good idea to see if you can change to someone else. I can cope with my pain of a MW because I know that once she's discharged me a couple of weeks after I give birth, that's it. With a HV though, you'll be seeing her periodically over the next 5 years and there will come a time when she spies you diving for cover behind the curtains!!

Becky Thanks for the info about tearing. I'm still nervous about the whole thing but it's so helpful to hear that it needn't be as bad second time round... Let's hope your delivery is a breeze too!

Laugs Thanks for your email address. I've just dropped you an email with availability in so hopefully we'll be able to arrange something soon.

Kyte I'm sorry to hear your consultant is being so awful. Do you have PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) in your hospital? The reason I'm asking is that in the real world pre-maternity leave, I work as a PALS Officer and often attend appointments with people who are worried about meeting with their consultants. A PALS Officer wouldn't speak on your behalf like an advocate but would support you if you needed it, help you prepare for the consultation and calm things down if they start getting fraught. You can find details of your local PALS service here Other than that, try writing all the points you want to make down so that even if the consultant tries to mow you down with his opinions, you won't lose your train of thought about what you want to cover. The other thing you could do would be to ask for a second opinion if you're really unhappy after the appointment. I hope everything goes well...

Lissy I hope you got a seat on the Metro with all your face pulling and bump grabbing - if not, try adding a few groans for good effect!

I expect to be in the late gang too so glad to see I'll have some company!

I'm another who has bought very little, we're extremely disorganised. Brother is giving us a car seat and my mum owns a crib which the grandchildren have all used so far so at least we can get baby home and asleep somewhere... Although he might not have nappies or clothes if we don't get shopping soon!!

Has anyone been offered the swine flu vaccination yet? Apparently it'll be available mid Oct... I'm still undecided about accepting it or not but all info online suggests we should. Any views?

Welcome to the late gang, Lauds! We did some hospital bag shopping today so getting there. But like you and Raggie, I'm sure I'll be hanging around repacking it, eating the chocolate, buying replacement chocolate, repacking it...for months yet!

Good work on the mass purchases, raggie. You have that much less to think about in the weeks to come.

Sorry - I meant Laugs!

Tigger I have one packed for the baby, one that really needs packing for me, and DP has one as well. I?d rather take too much though, than realise I?m missing something, especially as the hospital is three quarters of an hour away, so someone won?t be able to just pop it by.

Wizzy what was it like with the health visitor? Mines coming next week, and I?m really not sure what to expect?

Southernbelle glad the midwife is being so supportive of you, and hope the consultant pays attention to what she and you have said. Sorry to hear its so bad though.

Kyte sorry to hear about the bad experience with the consultant Is there a different one you could see, possibly? He sounds like an arse to be frank.

Broodzilla still thinking about you and hoping everything is A okay!

I did so much today - probably too much and will pay for it tomorrow - am am feeling so good from it! I went into town, got some clothes that actually FIT (Didn't go over board, just some leggings and tops and pjs bottoms!), the last bits I needed for my hospital back (wash stuff), first Christmas present (DP's Step-Dad - "Wines of the World" board game [grin[) and bought Bryn his first book - The Very Hungry Catapillar buggy book!!! Also bumped into my old french teacher who I adored back at secondary school - he was one of the few teachers that ever actually did something about the bullies, I have a distinct memory of him helping me out of a box they'd forced me into and bellowing at them down the corridor - and it was SO lovely to see him. He kept saying how happy I looked, and that I had laughed more in the little while I stood chatting with him than I had in the entire five years he'd known me. Bless him, gave me his email address too, and told me to keep in touch Put me in such a fab mood. He was such a brilliant teacher.

Then bumped into two old friends on the bus who haven't seen me since I first found out I was pregnant, and that was nice, too. Just had a silly giggle for a few minutes. Mainly about me, but hey

Today has been a very practical day overall, I'm feeling good and bright. Though I think his head is pushing on my cervix as am definately having to waddle tonight!!!

Hope you're all well

I just got a promo email for M&S, took a look - 50% off! And free delivery. But be quick quick quick ladies. Literally as I was placing my order, things were disappearing straight off the order as items were selling out, i should have not dithered as I lost several fab items for stupid prices, but I bought 10 pairs little incy wincy baby socks for £2 per 5, and some romper suits at a fiver each, couple of sets at £7.

I kept confusing myself as I would refresh the page with a new item and it would show items missing, took a while to realise people were buying my items

Is there a promo code, Pavlov?

Good morning all. Just trying to be productive during my usual sleepless period.
So still no news from Broodzilla, hopefully she is already mum of a beautiful child and just doesn't have time anymore to be online all the time.
claire, I will certainly not go for the swine flu vaccination. First of all, I had talked with my doctor back in Austria who said that the virus would only be dangerous for the unborn baby if it was in the first trimester. Now, only growing could be affected and I guess so near the end it doesn't really matter. She said, I should just make sure that my immune system is working well, so having a high level of Vit C, lots of fresh air,... And I am already naturally avoiding big crowds as I am feeling uncomfortable there. I suppose protecting the newborn baby will be the bigger challenge.
Secondly I do not want to be the first one to try a new vaccination anyway.

Morning!

Came on hoping for news from broodzilla too. Hope all's going well I guess if she hadn't gone into labour naturally, she will have been induced by now, so there will definitely be a little zilla here soon.

claire It's a hard decision re the swine flu vaccination. A few months ago when the whole situation seemed much worse, I definitely would have taken it. Now I'm not so sure, but I imagine I will probably take it anyway. I am asthmatic, so have had the seasonal flu jab before (and am also aware that I don't want to get really bad asthma from the flu). I'd be interested to know whether having the jab can pass on any immunity to our babies if we breastfeed them, but can't find that info anywhere. I'm most worried about the baby when it's born to be honest.

erika glad you had such a lovely day

Grr... DH went for a drink after college and insisted on waking me up when he got until, and kept me awake until midnight. Typically, then he went off to sleep and I was lying there restless. Then had to get up with DD at 5.30 (I thought it was 6.30 or I would have resisted more). I don't think I have any work on today though, so will wait until she goes to nursery and then get back to bed

Morning all, still no news from Broodzilla then? Hope she is ok and cuddling her newborn!

I bought some more maternity clothes yesterday, feels a bit wasteful as I only have 5 weeks left but have no warm clothes and the weather has really turned hasn't it. I suppose that the problem with having an Autumn baby, you need more clothes, oh well. Oh, and I've only packed the 1 bag for hospital, but it is a big bag with mine and babies stuff and I only live 5 mins from hospital so if I do end up going in I can always send dh home to get more things.

Erika glad you had a good day yesterday, must have been nice catching up with your friends and old teacher.

laugs poor you, you must be shattered, hope you manage to get some rest today.

kyte yay to the Phil and Teds! I have bought one too and think it's great!

Have a fun day everyone!

Morning!

How is broodzilla getting on? I hope she has the baby in her arms soon.

claire I'm seeing my gp on Friday and will talk to him about the vaccine. It is such a difficult decision. I rarely succumb even to a cold, but a little baby is a completely different story. I do hope however that I've passed my good immunity on to her, and dh rarely is sick, too.

I hope you all enjoy your day, even though the weather is crap. Where's the indian summer gone? humph...