November ladies are having there babies. One by one here they come. But here we'll let the candle burn. Until we've all had our turn

[Ninjacat]

Come on over....

I was pregnant . Feeling the cold like I've never felt it before, not able to eat much, covering exam classes for a colleague who was off with appendicitis whilst writing cover lessons for my classes too and generally pretty run down. I had hoped I'd have a 4 month old by now, but things weren't to be.

I had also hoped I'd have a week old baby by now, but life clearly has other plans yet again.

Off for a hot bath

Thinking of you sleepless

sleepless oh good luck with the induction tomorrow...more babies

Despite all the promises to keep up here I went and got mastitis so have been off with the fairies for a couple of days...

I've spent most of the day just trying to catch up on this thread (think I missed one or two whole threads post-delivery...) and now realize that I should've kept notes about what to say to whom as I can now only remember what's happened in the last page.

I will pull my socks up.

Congratulations to the new arrivals, gosh, there's bound to be a baby a day now that we're officially in November! Can't believe Erika was calmly typing away in labour!

Sorry abotu the generic comments but:
What's with all the MILs coming out of the woodwork and behaving like MonsterILs? Do you think there's something about being pregnant/having babies that makes them worse? Maybe it makes them bitter? (Mine certainly doesn't want to be called a GRANDMA, as that's for old people and she's only 65...)

Also, to all those feeling rotten - I'm pleased to report that despite mothering a newborn being a 24/7 job and very tiring at that, I for one feel much better now than I did being pregnant (and although I was sick for a loooong time, it was nothing like what poor Pavlov has gone through) so it's all relative. I seriously enjoy being a mama so much, and I doubted myself during the pregnancy as I was suppsoed to bloom and enjoy it and I was mostly miserable.

I don't think we've got a postnatal thread yet. I now can't remember what we agreed? Did we say we'd do our labour stories on one but stay here until we're all done? Or do we just wait with the labour stories until we're all done?

Little update: Lukas was born at 6.5 pounds, and despite losing 11% of his birthweight (part of the reason why we stayed in hospital for 5 days) he's now 10 pounds, and he was five weeks yesterday so he's done really well!

He's feeding every 2-3 hours but seems to spend more time awake at night than he does in the day... which is why I insist on both of us going to bed at 9PM at night...

Who said their baby suffers with wind? Lukas had the same thing, writing around in pain until he was arching his back and purple in the face and crying heartbreakingly... I stopped eating anything with onions in (we now use shallots) and avoiding chilli and he seems much better. Have also started him on probiotic drops for babies, if you know anyone in Ireland get them to send some over! (They don't do them in England right now for some reason.)

Ooooh, I've got a list a mile long about "things I never knew..." but I'm not sure we should be sharing them until we're all on this side of labour? Or should we? Can we have a policy of "things I wish someone had told me about so that I didn't need to freak out" being posted but perhaps leaving any horrors until later? (Although I'll be quick to add I honestly don't have any horrors, only the unnecessary freak-outs, I promise.)

Becky I love that you're getting all philosophical! Made me think...

This time last year, pretty much to the day, I was at a conference in Edinburgh, loving exploring the gorgeous city on my own, staying in a hotel on my own and eating dinner out on my own - and savouring every moment as I was very much hoping that as much as I loved my life as it was then, I would get pregnant soon. On my last night in Edinburgh I took my last mini-pill (and sent a picture of the empty "sheet" to DH-to-be...) I think know my career will not be what it could've been with travel abroad etc. but I couldn't be happier, and I couldn't feel more content. Never thought I was the "settling down" type, worried I wasn't maternal... and now I wonder why I waited so many years to experience something so amazing. The only answer I can come up with is that I was meant to wait for exactly this long so that I could have sweet baby Lukas as my son. You know, like we were meant to meet and it couldn't have happened at any other time. (I quite like the theory that babies sit on clouds up above and choose their parents. Not that I know what I've done to deserve Lukas, but I'm forever grateful that he chose me to be his mama.)

Also - I know this probably sounds crazy, but I was expecting a time of "getting to know each other". And really, what it feels like is meeting a long lost friend. Like I've known him all my life. Or waited for him all my life. Either way, here we are, he's sleeping peacefully in my lap and I'm about to carry us upstairs to bed.

I feel so blessed.

sorry for the marathon post, but hey - I'm still me.

broodzilla you have just made me cry.

Your post was beautiful, you sound so loved up, in the way I recall feeling with DD. I was completely smitten and felt just like you have spoken about and I am sat here remembering that feeling. And it has made me tearful. I spent many many hours looking at DD feeling just like you have posted, and still do now.

I hope i feel the way you do when this little one comes along. Pleased that you feel better than when pg too!

happy tears mind you. the way you sound is just the best feeling in the entire world.

DP forgot my krispey kremes so we went for a curry hoped that may help get her to hurry up! just watching octo mum its crazy so glad im only having one!!

Broodzilla you have just made me cry too!!! Happy crying though. I just hope I feel the same way. I am scared I won't know what to do / won't understand my little boy...

Hello you lovely bunch

Am home and happy - though with very sore nipples! As my amazing DP has shared with you (he was a total star, I love him more than ever!) Bryn George Jonathan turned up five days early. That'll teach me for thinking I've dropped my pjs in wee

There was a bit of panic as I had mercronium (sp?) in my waters so had to be put on a drip to bring the contractions on a lot faster. Had to be monitored for the whole labour, so between that and my TENS machine moving around was a bit of a challange. I managed just with the TENS until about 1am when I was just in so much pain as they'd sped them up so much that I finally agreed for an epidural. They examined me and said I was 6cm so still had a while to go. The guy got called away for an emergancy call so came back around 0130 and - bless him - managed to get the needle in after several attempts as was having contractions every two minutes. After they'd got the sample in and before they'd actually connected anything I remember vaugely saying to the midwife I needed to go for a poo She re-examined me and said something along the lines of "That's a very hairy poo then!" I pushed for 40mins and then he came on out - no tears, and have virtually finished bleeding already, and have dropped several dress sizes

Am exauhsted but so so happy. The birth wasn't what I planned - and its rather ironic that I finally was convinced for an epidural as that's what I really wanted to avoid, and it didn't have time to kick in! - but I really am pleased.

Will catch up soon - love to you all!!! Thanks for all your well wishes x x x

Aww love all the warm fuzzies tonight

Broodzilla thanks for reminding us what we have to look forward to at the end of all our pregnancy aches and pains.

Erika great to finally hear from you! Sounds like a brilliant labor.

A friend of mine has just sent me two videos of her supercute 6-month old that have sent my boobs leaking... I may be due for a good happy cry tonight before I go to bed.

just wanted to ask has nayone given birth with a really nasty cold? and do you think they will treat me any differently because of it?

cant sleep again, but feel really bad with this cold, every time i lie down i want to be sick. my Mil was lovely and came over for most of the day to take care of ds and keep an eye on me, i think. so managed to get an hours sleep before having a very long vomiting session. was hoping to start feeling better by now as am not looking forward to giving birth coughing/retching and the such-like.

erika oh that is fantastic, I am so pleased you are happy. It very rarely goes exactly as you planned it with birth, as you can never predict how it will pan out if intervention is required or how you manage pain etc, and it sounds to me like you managed brilliantly! Well done and welcome bryn i hope you manage to get some rest.

trikken i am sorry to hear you have a bad cold. When I had a stinker last week, MW said to me it would be much better if i had a few days to get over it before baby made an appearance as it was not ideal, but she did not indicate any specific way it miht be different - i am thinking you will likely have much less energy and they will need to monitor that but i hope you get some chance to recover a little. Maybe they will be able to give you some medication that will help you feel better while you labour? Would it be worth talking to your MW for some guidance, so you have an idea what you might expect?

I have a very very blocked ear myself, as a consequence of my cold, but suspect that is nothing compared to feeling awful like you do. I have spent much of the night attempting to unblock it/reduce the swelling or whatever and have been very tempted to take an ibruprofen as its an anti-inflammatory. I would really prefer not to go to the gp for the second day in a row with a completely different problem esp as I doubt they can do nowt about it drug wise.

DH was an arse last night. He came to bed early for the first time in a long time, as he slept badly night before. So, while I was attempting to sort out ear, and was dozing off, he moved onto his back, headphones in for audio book, and started snoring, I asked him to roll over. Fine. Then 5 mins later, onto his back, i asked him to roll over and he said 'i will move in 5 mins' 'can you move now please otherwise you will go back to sleep like that' 'no, i won't, i will effing move in a minute, when you have stopped effing around with that pocket' dreaming, clearly 'what pocket babe? you are dreaming' 'i am not effing dreaming, you're being effing rude, i will roll over when you stop effing about with that pocket' and I responded 'nice, you actually manage to be angry and swear at me in your sleep' and I roll over. He heard that fine, and that was it 'what? you effing what? you think its ok to wake me up and be rude to me in the middle of the night...' and off he went, on a rant, saying things like 'you are even nasty to me when I am asleep' which to me suggests i am nasty when he is not asleep. This went on for 2 hours while he got wound up that I would not talk to him about it (no point, based on irrational sleep talk), there was basically nothing I could to resolve it, so I did my best to try to sort out my earache and move it on without getting angry. I tried telling him I am so close to giving birth I just do not want an argument, to get stressed, to cause any emotional surges for this baby right now. But apparantly I was causing the argument by refusing to talk (and i would be causing the argument if i talked too, been there before). All my fault, I am a nasty person who clearly does not give a shite about my relationship. Nice.

Sorry, needed to post that little rant. DD woke at 6am, and DH said he would get up with her, but by that point ear was hurting again, back pain and just no point, as i can't sleep now but I am knackered and needed to get it all out so I am not in a foul mood all day.

I would prefer this baby does not arrive today, being friday 13th and all

Morning all

Congrats to all new moms and babies!

Just an update on me if anyone is interested:

Went to see my Gyno on Tuesday. He did an internal check and sweep. About 1cm he said. He doesn't think anything will happen untill Monday. If nothing happens untill Thursday the 19th I must go in for induction the morning. I'm kind of glad and in a much better place than Monday when I just cried the whole day. Think it is because now I have a date!! AND!!!!! My mother is coming down!!!!!! I didn't think that she would come but after crying about the fact that she wouldn't be here she decided she would come. (Lives 800km from here and will come down for christmas aswell, so lots of travelling and costs) So she will be here from Saturday 21st till the Wednesday!

BAD NEWS - MIL hurt her shoulder yesterday and spent whole day in hospital (on her birthday). They gave her cortizone (sp?)injection. If this doesn't help they need to do an operation on Monday what will mean that she will come out of the hospital and straight to my house and then be here in pain and she will moan the whole time and expect me to look after her! SO PLEASE pray for her and me that she doesn't need the op!

and MIL is suppose to look after DD when I go to hospital, so how is she going to do that if she has the op?

Trikken I've got the same issue - due tomorrow and I am snot and cough monster at the moment. Sounds like you are feeling rougher than me but let's hope we get better before babies decide to make their way into the world...

tasjaSAmuminSA fingers crossed for your MIL!

Broodzilla I cried at your lovely post too and your FB pic is lovely

No news here. Feel a bit crampy I guess and a bit, errr, sticky 'downstairs'. Today would not be a good day though as DH at work, having DS1's friend over for tea tonight, and well, just not in the mood to give birth today. Tomorrow would be better

Erika good to see you back. The sore nipples will get better

Good luck Sleepless, you'll be holding your little bundle soon, then all the waiting will be worth it!

Well, I am over the moon as something is finally happening for me!

I think my waters have gone, feels similar to last time. Woke up and lifted my ds downstairs. Suddenly felt like I had wet myself so ran to bathroom. Had a wee and lost my mucas plug (which looks as disgusting as it sounds!). The fluid continued to leak when I stood up. Due at day clinic at half ten to confirm its my waters but I'm pretty confident.

I know it doesn't mean labour is starting as I'm not having any contractions but I'm just glad my body is finally showing some sign of getting itself ready! Fingers crossed.

tasja fingers crossed your MIL gets better soon and doesn't come moaning to you. And hooray for your mum coming! Sorry I've forgotten but what was the reason for being induced early? You were due the same day as me I think - 26th?

Broodzilla's post last night made me cry too. I felt exactly the same when DD was born, but probably couldn't have described it so eloquently.

To answer Becky's question, this time last year we were planning our wedding and I was waiting to TTC. DH wanted to wait to get married (end Dec) before trying and then my DB and SIL were getting married in Italy in the summer, so we had to wait until February to start trying so that I'd be able to fly out there. It wasn't long to wait, but it felt like ages!

By the way, I love the idea that you get pregnant when you do in order that you end up with your baby. When I became pregnant with DD it was completely unplanned. I honestly had no idea when it had even happened - an immaculate conception, I told my mum . We were living in a really awful council estate (which we didn't mind too much as it was a ten min walk to the city centre and we were out every night - great parent material...). I had started my first proper journalism job two weeks before. We were completely skint (this hasn't changed!).

So on paper it sounded like a bit of a disaster, but in fact it was the most amazing, wonderful thing that has ever happened to either of us and keeps on happening every day. That love, Broodzilla? It just grows and grows

BBL, you do realise that now you've said today would be inconvenient for you that things will prob start happenning. We should all know by now that our babies have a mind of their own!

Ooh cross-posted - yippee TOK - weren't you due to be induced today? Surely they won't still induce you if everything's kicking off on its own?

Best of luck to sleepless too

Due to be induced on Monday, so hopefully I'll be able to go it alone Laugs! It just came as a surprise given that mw couldn't even do a sweep yesterday

I'm still here with no baby Went in yesterday at 8am but by 11am we were sent home as they were just too busy to actually start my induction. They had to consider actually shutting the unit down as they were so busy and having to send labouring ladies to other hospitals! I can't complain as I'm not high priority, it's just frustrating. Everyone at the hospital has been lovely though and everything is fine with the baby which is what matters. Have to ring after 10am this morning to see the state of play, but I'm not holding my breathe as I'm sure they will still be too busy! They did give me some very strong painkillers to help manage the pain which is good although they make me feel like I've been hit by a bus and make me incapabale of doing pretty much anything so trying not to take them too much! Desperately trying to do everything I can to go into labour naturally now

Congratulations to everyone who has had their babies (sorry, am too tired to remember as not sleeping well at all).

Pav is your dp a bit depressed? Sounds like he's trying to transfer some of his frustrations on to you. It's not acceptable at any time but less so right now

Southern that is so scary that the hospital was so full they thought about shutting the unit Is there another hospital nearby? Are you in a big city? Now I am scared!!!

TOK YAY for waters going!! That is the kind of progress I would like!!

BBL I had the same thought about Friday 13th Although apparently it is lucky to be born on Fri 13th. As my highly amusing Dad said to me last night, 'it's bad luck to be superstitious' ha ha! In answer to your Q re last year - I was in the obsessive TTC category. The first month we TTC my period was due on 19th Dec - I was having MAJOR stresses at work and seriously thinking about leaving my career path, I absolutely HATED it and felt so utterly miserable. Of course, I put extra pressure on myself for TTC to work straight away, which it didn't, and I became so so so frustrated and obsessed by it! Stupidly went down the whole temping, OPK, obsessive diary thing and had really convinced myself I would never have a baby. Grr. Not a nice time. In fact, the month before it 'worked', when I got my period, I was so distraught I ended up being signed off with depression! Dr told me I was in no fit state to have a baby! Oh dear.... Sooooo glad it is not this time last year!

TOK oh your waters have gone! Not long now then, whether natural or induction, they won't leave you long now!!!

I did not know babies born on friday 13th were lucky! in which case come right on out little boy! We have a name for you now although, who knows, might change ergain!

ninja yes, he is most certainly depressed. I would be surprised if he was not considering he has been prone to it in the past (although not significantly since we have been together - 12 years), and considering he is not working, and all the other stuff going on, builders, having another baby. But he will absolutely not recognise it. It is all me. All of it. None of it is him. It is because I am pregnant, and the pregnancy has been tough, its because i have not coped with HG well, because i have been ill, because of the stress of builders on ME. That is why he reacts how he does. He reacts, and i cannot get him to see it any differently. And when the baby is born, i should think it will be much of the same, tiredness, new baby, hormones. Me. I am not perfect of course. But, i try to recognise that I am not always easy to live with. He refuses to think he is ever in the wrong. And if he does, its still as a consequence of my behaviour that he is wrong.

And I agree, its the wrong time, it is not acceptable and I am not going to rise to it right now. Either he gets over it, or he does not. I cannot look after him, me DD and a new baby. I won't do it.

Morning all, congratulations to the new arrivals!

Still full of cold here and had a really crappy day yesterday. Went to see consultant due to MW being cautious about baby's size and giving birth at MW led unit. They decided that they wouldn't give me a growth scan as apparently they are very unprecise (?) and because the size had been risen as a concern then I should have a hspital birth -was absolutely gutted as have battled all this pregnancy to go to Chippy, finally was sorted & then 12 days b4 due they change their mind. I totally understand that if there are concerns then I should be in hospital, but they don't seem to be based on anything, only measuring 1 wk over, don't think i'm as big this time as with DS, MW & consultant have said baby feels big but not huge and don't have GD, but to be honest I just can't be bothered now and have just resigned myself to the fact that we'll be in hospital. So the pool's all your Skorpion!!