Where's the April thread gone??

[Rtuff]

Can someone put a link to it for some reason i cannot find it!!

Hi everyone, haven't posted for ages, hope everyone is doing well. I went for consultant appointment today, was really excited, expecting to be given a date for elective c/s and didn't get one. Last time I was told I would definitely get a date today, but today they said apparently it is still too early to book it. Ah well, I will just go with the flow, and assume at some point in time this baby is going to have to be born . The doctor had a feel of my tummy and had no idea whether baby was head up or head down. She then ordered another scan to check growth, for no apparent reason. The measurements have been within the normal range at all my scans and I have no gest. diabetes, so I really have no idea why they would do this. I did ask for a reason but she just said because you're having a csection. Doesn't make much sense to me. Is this normal?

I've got quite a bit of stuff together now, mostly freebies from friends or cheapies on ebay. Got a 2nd hand SilverCross 3D pram system, didn't want new one as I think I will only use it for the first few months. I might treat little one to a new car seat though.

Renerusso I had the silvercross 3d for dd Not that that's any interest to you lol!!!
Well, I had my last blood test today!! Yippee!! Been left with a nice big bruise though! I also just fell over Tripped head over heels over the telephone wire and cried my eyes out..silly me!! I hurt my knee and toe, and 2 1/2 year old dd came running over saying don't worry mummy..my kisss it better for you!! Instant recovery! She can be soo sweet bless her!
So everything's still looking good for my homebirth..iron levels are 11.5, and that was the last remaining thing before the actual labour that could have deterred them, but my ferritin levels are low, and there was protein in my wee, so i'm hoping that if it is an infection, that's not enough to stop the homebirth..although obviously I want Jude to be ok
With dd, I only had 3 1/2 hour labour, and had about a 30 minute trip from my house, to the petrol station, (I put a jacket over my face to hide it during a major contraction and tried my absolute hardest not to make a noise!! I didn't want to traumatise the early workers lol), to my mum's house to pick her up, and then back past my house and to the hospital....Arrrghhhh!!! When I got to the hospital, I had enough time to get onto the bed, take off my trousers, have a puff on the gas and air before I was told to start pushing on the next contraction!! I got there at 6.35am, having an absolute panic that i wasn't going to be able to get out the car for fear of dropping dd on the concrete car park, and had her at 6.56am! I'm hoping for a short labour again hehe...especially as the midwives can only bring out one gas and air cannister each, and I will probably need most of that for the stitches!! Chat, chat, chat...can you tell dp is watching deal or no deal lol!!!

hi all, welcome newbies.

the past few nights i have woken up in the morning with really aching legs. has anyone else had this?

rene i have my next consultant appointment at 36 weeks where iv been told ill get booked in for my cs. hope they dont change their minds i've been telling everyone 3 weeks and then ill know my date ha.

Rene - Ive got a growth scan too at 38 weeks (and consultant appt the next day) because i am likely to have a section (though im hoping for a vbac). they want to check if baby is too big (despite the fact that DS was normal size) and for any problems.
basically, if they find anything wrong i'll have a cs, otherwise i can "attempt" a vbac as they say...

Princess I love your stories

Hope everyone is well! I wonder how Pumagirl is doing on her own, are you lurking out there Puma??

Thanx bettymum....sometimes I have to delete stuff cuz I've just rambled on and on haha xx
Ooooooh...so happy right now...it's took 7 years BUT dp has just cleaned the bathroom lol..well he actually did the whole of my downstairs for me while I concentrated on doing upstairs!! He did a really good job as well...I only had to rearrange 2 shower gel bottles and wash a bit of showergel off the bathroom wall which he missed. Awww, bless him....I'm gonna treat him I think and get on with the ironing lol
Ina ll seriousness I do really appreciate it cuz I've been struggling to keep up cuz of pain in my hips and back...and I have this wierd feeling in my bumcheek/thigh...does anyone else have this?? Not sure if it could be a trapped nerve or something.
Hope everything goes well for you tostaky xx

Princess - lucky you regarding the housework! Enjoy it while it lasts!

I had the pain-in-bumcheek thing (and it wasn't my husband ) a while ago. It lasted for a few days, and felt a bit like cramp or a pulled muscle in my bum. It went suddenly, so I think it must have been the baby pressing on a nerve. I get bouts of hip pain too that then disappear, so I guess it depends where baby is lying. Been feeling quite limber and mobile last couple of weeks. Maybe because baby is in head-down position so not pressing on anything (other than my bladder) at the moment.

Only 8.5 weeks to go

hi all havent been able to get on the internet for a while but got on ok with consultant got to go back in 3weeks see how it is when she measured me was smaller then docs measurement thank god lol.

ive had the bum cheek pain all the way through, usually when getting in and out of bed at night but then its fine come morning. i think it is sciatica.

I'm the same as you Zeeky. A lot of my aches and pains seem to to have vanished with the baby going head down, even the SPD and heartburn. I'm remarkably comfortable after moaning my way through the last three months! Famous last words.

I'm off to bake an 8yr olds birthday cake now.

Glad you've had good news Dani

Hi everyone,

I haven't been on for a while but thought i'd catch up...

Just got back from holiday and reality is hitting home 4 weeks and 6 days to c-section date!!! And i have nothing organised!! I've just managed to reserve my pushchair to pick up tomorrow, i went for a bugaboo... but i have nothing else new that i need to get, obviously i have all of ds1 old bits, but need to get new mattresses (sp) etc for baby bump and pack my hospital bag and only just over 4 weeks to go!! And i'm shattered! Has anyone packed their hospital bag yet? What did you put in? I'm thinking of trying to bf this baby (didn't with ds1) and as i will be in hospital for a few days after c-section i'm not sure what i'm going to need or that will help to bf any advise?

Is it just me or does this pregancy seem to have flown by??

wazbitwaffle, the only thing I can think of is 7 years of continuous whinging hehe....I did always tell him if I'm constantly saying the same thing, he's obviously constantly ignoring me lol, n that the only way to beat it is to give in!! He could have saved himself years of earache....I still have to see if this was just a one off !!
Rtuff, I packed my changing bag today, which is doubling up as Jude's arrival bag, as I'm hoping for a homebirth but don't want to double pack for a hospital transfer as well as having everything laid out for a home delivery. I am doing my bag later tonight I think...it's a bit of a pain though cu I don't want to double pack, and the advantage of having a homebirth is having everything I need in the right places...I'm gonna have to find out my least tattiest pjs and pack them, rather than be comfy in them for the next 5 weeks!!
Pack your breastpads, and a few tops for those embarrassing leaky boobs!!! They might leak when you're least expecting it!!! I didn't believe the myth that your boobs can leak if a baby cries....but mine definitely did....not good on a rare night out with a crying baby ringtone hehe (I'm joking!!) But they did leak when my sister's baby started crying a few times!!
This preganacy has definitely flew for me as well, and I feel quite guilty sometimes that I haven't kept up with a pregnancy diary like I did with dd....i haven't noted the date I first felt him kick, or how many times for example...I hope he doesn't feel neglected when he's older!!!
I've still got the pain in the bum thing..it's horrible I'm actually beginning to think this labour will be a hell of a lot worse than dd's, I've been suffering with my back and hips really bad for the last few days now none stop...it really must be because he's a boy an dknows he's never gonna have to experience pregnancy/labour for himself...little rascal

Rtuff get some lasinoh cream, you will need plenty of it if you want to breatsfeed (apply after each feed or you'll be in for very sore nipples!)
princessT have you got a birthing ball or can you rent a pregnancy yoga DVD? when i had my appointment with the physio, thats what she recommended for that bum pain you're having. That and pelvic floor exercises...

it is 3.30am and ive been woken up by my neighbours shouting/arguing.... not nice... not sure what to do now im awake...

ive been trying to buy a phil & ted this week and through ebay and local advertising i bought two (by mistake... on ebay...) so now i need to sell one.. grrr... DP is not happy as we dont have lots of space to store puschairs!

Hi all. Sorry I've not been on for a while. I finished work yesterday and it was manic in the final few days.
Had baby's room painted last weekend and got lots of DD's old stuff out the loft last night so been doing loads of washing and sorting today.
Plan to be on here more now i'm off and keep up with everyone's news.

Dani Glad you got good news.

Rtuff I'm allergic to lanolin so couldn't use the usual nipple creams. Expressing a little milk and letting the nipple air dry saved me from disaster. My only advice would be to ask for lots of help while you're in hospital as it'll make you more relaxed about continuing when you come home.

I'm a bit nervous about feeding myself this time as I'm worried about the time-factor due to already having DD. I've invested in a close baby carrier to see if I can feed hand-free sometimes. Does anyone have any other tips?

Hi All,

Wanted to pick the brains of those of you who have previously had or planning a home-birth. I have always ruled it out due to the thought of the mess and the fear of something going wrong and needing to get to hospital fast. DH however has suddenly decided that it would be a really good idea and wants me to consider it more.

Birth with DS was long but straight forward, managing on just gas & air until the very end when I had pethedine (which did nothing and wouldn't have again). We have just finished a hypnobirthing course so feel really confident that this birth will be a lot quicker and more manageable. For these reasons DH thinks it would be better (and more conducive for the hypnobirthing techniques) to have a home birth. Also it would remove the stress of what to do with DS if we needed to go to hospital in the night.

Any info/tips/feedback would be greatly appreciated from you guys, before I discuss it with my midwife.

I'm planning a homebirth zeeky. I wanted one with dd but dp was worried as it was my first labour so we made a pact that I would go to hospital and have dd, but for any future births I would always plan a homebirth. I got through a short labour with dd using gas and air, which helped me confirm my decision that I should be able to do it at home, but I haven't been 'expecting' it to go ahead as I was fearful I would be refused. So far, so good!!
I had a home visit from my midwife about 4 weeks ago, and she assessed my house/delivery area...she asked if I was planning on using a birth pool....I'm not as I don't have the room! I'm planning on using the living room or my bedroom, depending on how it takes me at the time. She told me that some midwives are weary about dogs, so I would probably have to make arrangements with my dog, but I had already arranged for my dog to be dropped at my mums, and she also told me that some midwives generally don't like children around, and I told her I had also made alternative childcare arrangements for my 2 year old, although I am hoping I will have a night time labour, so i can just leave Makenzi-Shei in bed, and have her at home with me as well.
She told me to supply a lamp, to help light me up if I needed stitches or if it was quite dark due to it being night time...she asked if I could get a waterproof covering for either my floor/bed/sofa,...I'm using an old shower curtain, and possibly an old single duvet on the floor in case I want to squat or kneel against my sofa..she also checked I had hot running water, clear access to my house and a parking area...my road gets really busy, so as soon as she said this I was worried she would be against it, but she seemed fine, and all I will do if there is no parking space is get dp to move his car just as midwife arrives so she can park outside my house. I hope I'm not boring you!!!!
With reguards to the actual labour, dp was concerned he could call midwife too early, but she assured him that the thing to do as soon as I go into labour is call the hospital, tellling them I have gone into labour, and they will send a midwife to assess me as soon as they can, and it is fine if I'm not at a stage where the midwife nedds to stay with me, she will come back out when needed....also, she told us that if I had no midwife with me, but had called one but thought I was progressing much quicker, that I was to call out the ambulance as they have equipment to revive baby if needed, not a nice thought maybe, but a reassuring one for me none the less!!
I was also told that my iron levels couldn't be low or I wouldn't be able to have a homebirth, which I was concerned about, but I've just been told they are fine..thankfully!!
How far along are you?? I have 5 weeks left today...woohoo!! I hope you get the thumbs up!! xx

I'm so sorry...that's really long!!!!!!!!!

Hello,

I havent posted much lately on here but I am due April 10th with DC5 (birth child 4).

I had HB with DC4 and I am so glad. I am planning another HB with DC5.

There was no mess to speak of last time.

I bought a pack of dustsheets from homebase (typed homebirth then ). They are the sort that are plastic backed but have a fabric top cover so they are tough and not sweaty.

I put one on the bed a few days before my EDD. I used an old sheet over the top.

I needed to have an area for the mws to rescuss the baby so we had a flat surface in the hallway just outside the bedroom. I put a blanket on top and an extension lead so they could have an electricity supply.

I had lots of old towels available. They are great for putting on the floor to walk on, extra protection on the bed and for cleaning baby when he/she arrives.

Dogs were kept downstairs or in the garden (two teeny dogs but they do bark a lot). Kids went off to a friends when things hotted up.

I went into labour about 1.30am but it was very slow and not painful until much later. Called mws about 9am and they came at 10am to check me. They came back around late lunch time but were convinced I had hours to go as I wasnt dilated much. I knew different and did the last dilating v. quickly (from 3-10 in about an hour). Baby was born early afternoon.

Everyone off within the hour and my boys back home to meet their brother asap.

I had G&A when the mws got to me (that was great - it was better waiting a bit for it) and pethadine on standby.

I really hope this hb goes as well although I hope its a bit quicker and not quite as painful (I can but hope).

Only thing that worries me. There was some talk of getting me to hospital if DC4 hadnt made an appearance within a certain time and I really didnt think I would have made it down the stairs and into an ambulance.

Hi all, sorry to have not been on for ages...

Chest now clear, but have SPD with bum cheek pain plus BP issues - seems to be either really low, or quite high from one day to the next. Midwife unconcerned, but I am either close to fainting, or seeing stars. I have a history of Pre-eclampsia, so checking daily at work.

Not a happy bunny, but finish work in 3 weeks! My replacement starts next week, so I will just have 2 weeks to train him up and hand over a caseload of 40 plus. Just what I need.

I had a peek at the Due March thread, and they have 4 babies already!

I have been busy sorting stuff from DD - do not know gender, so have put pink stuff at mums in case I have a boy. Have newborn neutral stuff to tide us over. Got out the washable nappies too - they look so small!

DH says I am the size I was at due date with DD, and feeling pretty miserable about that. But I saw a nurse for BP check at surgery last week and she did not even notice I was pregnant

Hello ladies,
Hope everyone and their bum cheeks are doing well today .
DH and DD were off all weekend at PILs, I stayed behind as I couldn't face 10 hours in the car, I spent the entire weekend washing baby clothes. I think I have the world supply of vests, not quite sure where they all came from. This little boy is going to have to be happy sleeping in pink babygros when he gets a little bigger, no point in buying more.
I think I will pack my bag this week, like princess I'm planning a homebirth. My sister has had two and there really isn't any mess (after the event, anyway), the midwives have been brilliant at just wrapping everything up and taking it away. DD was supposed to be a homebirth, I got 2 vials of pethidine on prescription from the doctor which were never used (as I went into hospital), I took them back to Boots afterwards to be disposed of as it's pretty dangerous stuff really. Hopefully this time things will go a bit more smoothly...
For those of you on the iron tablets, how are you getting on? I have been on mine about two and a half weeks now and I have so much more energy. I was on my feet most of the weekend and got loads done, I couldn't have done it a fortnight ago as I was just so exhausted. Just shows what an effect low iron levels can have on your health.

Bettymum I have been on the iron tablets for nearly 2 weeks now but I haven't noticed any difference, I'm still very breathless especially in the mornings. I have an antenatal appointment on Thursday so will mention it then.

I started swelling up over the weekend, I couldn't get any shoes on and my fingers were so swollen that I couldn't bend them. I had my bp checked today and it is fine. I had swelling issues with ds after the birth but not whilst I was pregnant. I spent 4 hours in the car on Friday and I don't think it helped as I started feeling uncomfortable on my way home.

I'm feeling very unsociable at the moment, I just want to stay at home on my own. I don't want to see friends. I can see myself falling out with one friend if I'm not careful she keeps asking me to go out to places that I'm just not up to and getting really offended when I say that I just want to stay home.

dollhouse well I just missed DH's niece's christening as I decided I just wasn't up to travelling 200 miles there and 200 back again, and effectively losing my entire weekend - even though it was for a nice reason. If I was on mat leave I'd probably have gone but I just couldn't face the thought. I did feel very guilty about phoning to say I wasn't coming as normally I'd have gone since it's a family occasion.
I think there comes a time where you just have to put your foot down if you know you're not up to something or it's going to make you suffer. Does your friend have children? SIL has two and knows what it's like to be pg and tired so she was very sympathetic!
Hope your swelling goes down, I don't think being immobile in cars does us any good at all. I still get breathless a bit but it's a lot less than it was, maybe the baby is starting to drop a bit.

Princess - thanks for all the info, not too long at all! I'm still really undecided and keep swinging from "yes I want a HB" to "no, definitely don't want one"!

A friend who had her DS same time as me had a HB and it was her first, so I will talk to her too to find out what she thought of it. From what I remember at the time, she had a relatively short labour and it all went smoothly.

But I guess if they want DS out of the way then I may as well as have a hospital birth as one of the reasons for going for a HB is so that we don't have to ship DS off anywhere! My parents will travel up from Wales as soon as I get first contractions, but it is a 4 hour journey, so thought is would be less stressful if we were having HB as not such an urgency for them to get here.

I've got 8 weeks left so I guess there's still plenty of time to discuss with MW and get me on the list for a HB if I decide I want one.