Feb 2010 part III,

[mamaloco]

Sorry I couldn't wait anymore half of us is in the 3rd trimester and half will followed soon
Welcome sharon I have added you to the list

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
1st Feb Moth2, 1st but also stepdaughter 3 yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb sunangel88 1st
4th Feb mothrof2boys
5th Feb chinook Dd 3.6yo
7th Feb grin DS 1 yr 6 m
7th Feb mamaloco DD will be 5y near due date
8th Feb fiziwizzle, 1st
8th Feb gingerkirsty, 1st
8th Feb PinguCarrier, 1st
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
11th Feb Woowa 1st
12th Feb Fluffycoo 1st
12th Feb Yummylilmummy 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14th Feb Clappedout DD 21m
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
14th Feb Stoofadoof, DD 2.11
15 Feb AngelaCarleen 1st
15 Feb flyingcloud 1st
16th Feb GuernseyFrench 1st
16 Feb Watercress DD1 2y 10m
16 Feb esselle - DD 5.1y, DS 20m
16 Feb hannahsaunt - ds1 (8.11), ds2 (6.5), ds3 (23mo)
17 Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
17 Feb Becks130 - DS 3.5 yrs
18 Feb Sunnybump - First
19 Feb Sharon137-
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
20 Feb Cluny 1st
21 Feb Pyjamababe - First
22 Feb Skibelle
22 Feb Scoobydoo
23 Feb 2Happy ds1 4y ds2 2y
23 Feb (twins!!) Insanitybecomesme DS1 9yrs, DS2 7yrs. DD3y 3m, DS3 21m
23 Feb TheOldestCat DD 2.9y
23 Feb Phee96 DD 9m
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

good luck mawbroon!

and watercress am officially spooked now... are you me??? it's my birthday today too (its already the 14th here!!) ... and our due date is only 2 days apart.... spooky! hope you have a lovely birthday! I've had my prezzies this morning - got 4 cards and a bottle of shower gel for the hospital, plus some chocs... AND my brother remembered to text me, so not doing too bad!! DD and DH are taking me out for lunch on saturday, so looking forward to that!

good luck mawbroon, will be thinking of you tomorrow.

sunnybump (nice name!), well, I reckon I must be one of the lucky ones as we get loaned pools for homebirth on the NHS here. I have just been contacted with a phone number for the woman who has just finished with it, and need to pick it up from her. And then I need to pick up the liner from the reception of the hospital. And buy the hose! So all a bit complicated but still much better than needing to buy your own. But there's something rather exciting (and distracting) about having some unusual kit to play with!

I have managed to get to the end of the hypnobirthing CD! I'm not sure whether I find it helpful or not but I guess it's worth persevering. I keep getting stuck when I'm imaging being on the beach... I'm fine until there's a suggestion that the water is blue and the sun is warm... and then I get a jolt as my childhood holidays were in Donegal, Ireland, and you bet I've got a woolly jumper on!

happy birthdays birthday girls!

Just got back from antenatal class. There were about 20 couples there all crammed into a tiny room. Midwife was very nice but it just wasn't what I was expecting. She went through all the stages of birth and pain relief but didn't even touch on positions for labour. Maybe I was being thick thinking she would talk about it, I've clearly been watching too much tv! Still feel a bit disappointed and about it though. And she never mentioned what happens if you have a C-section etc, and again said that we would be in hospital for days...

Also saw midwife today, bump now measuring 2.5cm too small (was 1cm too small 4 weeks ago), ? whether the baby is the right way up or not and she's written ? 1/5 palbable in my notes, so if it is the wrong way up it's not going to turn (according to my lovely midwifey aunt). Got to go back next week and then will maybe get referred for a scan. Shouldn't they have referred me today in case there is a problem with the size of the baby/ amount of fluid/ placenta?

I'm going to go and eat four cream eggs to make it all better

Morning everyone,

Could not sleep due to eating late after NCT class, not a good idea at all! Having camomile tea and trying to think good thoughts.

Really good luck mawbroon, I hope it all goes really well. You will be home with your family before you know it!

Happy Birthday watercress and stoofadoof! AngelaCarleen regarding antenatal class, I am doing NCT which is expensive (we paid around £240 for a few sessions a week over the month of January), there are six couples who live locally (they are all really nice and first timers) and the teacher is really approachable and informative. If you can find an NCT coordinator in your area, I would really recommend it (it is worth every penny)! If not, the NCT website (www.nct.org.uk) has lots of useful information... We had our breast feeding class last night with a different teacher and it was amazing how much I didn't know and we were all able to ask stupid questions and have them answered properly!!!

Sunnybump I mentioned the clubbing until six in the morning. And as a punishment, here I am up at six with an acid stomach!!! I really don't know how any of us had the stamina in those days...

Anyway I am 33 + 6 and have grown massively in the last week. I met this other pg lady doing baby shopping yesterday and I said to my DP afterwards that she looked massive, and he turned around and said that I was exactly the same size! That shut me up!

I met this other pg lady doing baby shopping yesterday and I said to my DP afterwards that she looked massive, and he turned around and said that I was exactly the same size! That shut me up! hehe AbsB i've just seen some new year pics on f/book... wondering who the ENORMOUS bump belonged to... yep... twas I! honestly, there's a photo of my shadow on the beach and its huge!! mind you, mw said last week i'm measuring 2 wks ahead of dates at the mo - he's had a bit of spurt on... DD was 9lb so hoping he doesn't go any more than that!!

have had a lovely but tiring birthday here - really hot again, and humid but am just waiting for my birthday bendicks bittermint to freeze - really looking forward to it! (in fact, i might even have two!!)

Happy Birthday Watercress and Stoofadoof.

I agree with AbsB on the NCT front. There are 5 couples in our group all first timers and using the same hosiptal. We've got 6 evening sessions in total and it's a really relaxed atmosphere where no question is a silly question. The classes also go over how to look after your baby once it's born - really useful as I have absolutely no idea (apparently they don't come with a manual!). We also have a dedicated class for breatfeeding which will be useful. It is expensive but I used most of my HIP grant to pay for them.

Mawbroon- good luck with your surgery.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday toooo you
Happy Birthday Stoofadoof and Watercress
Happy Birthday tooooo youuuuuu

AngelaCarleen If you're not happy with what the midwife wrote on your notes call and ask. There's no point getting worried and stressed. Cream eggs sound like a good short term fix though.

My first, (of 2!) NHS classes was a bit basic too I thought, I'm just glad I read stuff and have been doing yoga for the breathing exercises as they said at the class studies had shown they didn't work. Having suffered panic attacks in the past I know breathing exercises work for me. They just said what labour was and not to come to the hospital early! The NCT classes were when we were moving unfortunately so couldn't make them

I saw 6am too Abs, for the loo, the 2 hourly rearrangement of pillows and a big swig of gaviscon!

Happy birthday to watercress and stoofadoof, hope you both have a lovely lovely day.

Best of luck mawbroon.

AngelaCarleen my MW said that measuring the bump is an inexact science and they weren't worried until the measurement was more than 3cm out either side, i.e. 3.5cm or 4cm out. I've been measuring large the whole time but last time measured spot on - I reckon it could be to do with how they position the tape over your bump etc... But if you are worried, give her a call, she will put your mind at rest. Also my MW can never tell which way up or down my baby is, nor can anyone apart from the sonographer! I blame the huge amount of fluid I seem to be carrying.

Also our NHS classes were a bit of a disappointment, 12 couples which is just too many to try to socialise, lots of awkward silences. I'm hoping that our thrice-rescheduled NCT class, this weekend, will be an improvement .

Hello and thank you for all the birthday messages. Stoofadoof you are officially my cosmic twin! Hope you had a lovely day. My Dh did manage to pull out a card, but was so absorbed in getting his own breakfast this morning that he utterly forgot about me and DD. Ah well. He still has this evening...

Sounds like the antenatal classes are a mixed bag. I haven't done any this time round, and last time just did the NHS ones (the times of the NCT ones didn't work for me and I was horrified at the price). But at the last session (of three), which was a full day affair, I passed round a piece of paper that said "Do you want to stay in touch after this class? If so, write your name, due date and email address on this piece of paper, and let's try and meet up." Six of us did so, and more than three years on meet up all the time (and have adopted another couple of mums). We all live within a couple of miles of each other, and we were literally a lifeline for each other in those early days when everything was new and terrifying. We meet up with the kids (weekly if not more), and without (every six weeks or so for dinner), and have the odd family day so the dads are also friends and go to dad things together (there are dads-only playgroups here). So it's worth being brave (I was worried that I would look desperate for friends and nobody would put their names down or want to meet up, but it turned out that everyone felt the same).

Mawbroon, thinking of you today.

AngelaCarleen, I find the whole bump measuring thing a bit of a joke. My experience is that the midwife or GP asks you how many weeks you are, gets the tape measure out to the relevant spot, then puts it over your bump! I don't think it's a terribly precise science so try not to worry if everything else seems OK. And there's still plenty of time for the baby to move position.

The GP receptionist who was shirty with me yesterday called me back and has made me an appointment for next week completely unprompted! I guess she must have had a fit of conscience!

Great news Watercress, both DH pulling his finger out (at least part way ) and with the appointment.

Happy Birthday Watercress and Stoofadoof !

Hope it all goes well, Mawbroon

Had a Spanish ante-natal class day before yesterday - they alternate between Q&A / lecture sessions (ending in a spot of relaxation) with the MW - to which partners are welcome - and gym sessions, where we do breathing and pushing and learn some helpful massage techniques etc. (no partners for that one - mainly because of lack of floorspace and concerns about dignity...!)

My lack of Spanish means making friends is a bit challenging and a lot of the advice sounds like meaningless gabble, but the MW is a friendly character, I get to practice my language skills and they give you some nice freebies, so it's worth persevering!

Had a gynae check yesterday, including swabs of the nether regions and a quick scan (they routinely scan you at every obstetrician / gynae appointment, here) - all seems okay.

Next week it's time for another round of blood tests. Last time they took 13 tubes of the stuff!! I think the health centre is an outlet for a local chapter of vampires.

That's my update! Am enjoying reading about everyone else's progress - keep it coming!!

Watercress and Stoofadoof - a VERY happy birthday to the two of you. I think this will be a very special year for both of you.

Well, I (foolishly) wondered if my baby was on her way after being woken up with strong period pains last night. My other two came after the EDD but, you just never know.... In theory I have another two weeks. This discomfort resulted in a meltdown this morning as, a) I feel no way ready in terms of hospital bag packing, etc. and b) I have been cooped up since Friday evening with a sick almost 6 year-old DS and felt like I was losing it big time!! My DH, who doesn't work on Thursdays, was great and I decided to go to our city centre as I was craving fish and a trip to the knitting shop. I can assure you I felt a lot less crabby and crampy after that time to myself although I have to admit I felt a little vulnerable about being alone with my aches and pains and huge bump in the city centre.

We had the plumber round on Tuesday pm who confirmed our hot water tank needs changing very quickly. Since we are in rented accommodation he will be sending his estimate to the agency through which we rent. I hope it all gets moving quickly as the amount of limescale floating about in our (newish) washing machine is doing it no good whatsoever and I WANT my washing machine for when this baby comes.

Can anyone guess that I'm a little panicky? I am excited too

Made the mistake of saying to DH yesterday that BH contractions, which I've been having since about week 16, have stopped. So what have I had for the last 24 hours? BH, after BH, after BH... Hoping this is uterus limbering up properly for a nice baby, about a week early! No going two weeks over for me! As if I can do anything about it!

Second NHS antenatal this morning. Took about 25 minutes for MW to explain pain relief, and that was it! Back home. Very odd. In order...paracetamol, codeine, bouncy ball (yes, this was counted as pain relief , aromatherapy oils (again ), gas and air, meptid, pethedine, epidural, even stronger epiural. Had to look at floor and hum Nellie the Elephant to myself to keep from fainting at thought of needle in spine. Will be doing that in labour too.

Looking forward to second NCT class on saturday (also much postponed) and trying to get to know other PG people in area - the NHS ones are pretty hopeless for speaking to other people, as above, but good idea to ask for contact details!

4 weeks today... still a bag of nerves plus excited and hormonal. Makes for lots of random crying, in shops, as has just happened. DH has gone to hide for th rest of the day in embarrasment!

woowa your post made me laugh about random crying in shops! I can't watch the news anymore as that turns the taps on, or listen to music, and shops make me lose it, I end up wondering out mid-shop or getting DP to deal with it because I just can't!

I have become a manic arse cleaner! When I woke up with acid stomach at 5, I went to the kitchen and started cleaning... and now seem to follow DP with a cloth, tut-tutting at everything he does, I am a nightmare!

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet (pregnancy brain) but my MW said she "doesn't do waterbirth" eventhough it's offered by the hospital. She said for fear of HIV and all that pooh and wee in the water isn't good for the baby, any views on this???

Happy Birthday Stoofadoof and Watercress, and hope the op is going/has gone well Mawbroon and you are back home soon.

Watercress - I'm very impressed with your friend making skills, I am absolutely rubbish at that kind of thing and the only real friend I've made with a similar aged kid is moving back to Australia in a few weeks so very sad about that.

I ventured out this morning to a toddler group thing, the van slid on the ice twice on the way there then I think DS was overexcited about getting out and about so was running around everywhere. I feel rubbish this afternoon, like I've pulled some muscles across my abdomen so anything other than sitting down really hurts.

I'm feeling really aware that the house is a complete tip and the ILs are coming to look after DS when I go into labour, at the moment the bedroom they would sleep in looks like a bomb has hit it but I just don't feel physically capable of tackling it at the moment. Poor DH already has an endless list of jobs to do when he is home.

I feel like I've been a rubbish mum to DS ever since I got pregnant, physically I really haven't coped well with this pregnancy. Really looking forward to having the baby and getting the first couple of months over and done with, I'm just focusing on the idea that we will all have a fun summer, hoping that by then we will have got over all the newborn baby stress!

We aren't going to any antenatal classes this time, NCT are too expensive for us and we did the NHS ones last time. Our NHS classes were rubbish for meeting people, plus we don't live in the best area and I don't think there was actually anyone there I would have wanted to meet up with again, that sounds very snobby doesn't it?

Well that post was a lot of moaning and really I have it pretty good so should shut up. Hope you are all well. Any news from Becks130?

AbsB - I think you did mention it and I thought at the time it was an odd policy. Is it likely that she will be the MW at your birth?

Also AbsB what would the HIV issue be?

ktpie she is my one-to-one MW! So I'm definitely having her unless I request a change but don't know how easy that's going to be... I suppose she means the bleeding in stage 3 when the placenta is delivered. I am not HIV positive and she knows that from my notes, I think it's just her excuse for not doing it?? I was taken aback by her reaction... she said i could labour in water but she wouldn't deliver...

You sound like you're having quite a time of it. I don't think I would have coped well with a toddler at all.

I agree the NCT thing is really expensive and I probably won't be doing it second time round but the hospital I'm at is always SO BUSY I couldn't stand the thought of going there... and the people I've met have been really fab so far.

I'm sure your ILs will understand... you're hardly in a position to be doing lots of moving around and cleaning.

Are you in the UK AbsB? I've not heard of the one to one MW thing before, I have had the same community MW for the appointments during pregnancy then whoever was on shift at the hospital when I got there, the MW shift changed halfway through so they changed in labour anyway. I guess different areas must do it differently. It sounds like she just has something personal against water births, could you use that as a reason to change MW?

I think I just don't cope well with pregnancy, I was keen on having more than 2 but now I am rethinking that. It's not even as if I have any major problems, I just feel rubbish throughout.

I'm glad other people have had rubbish classes, that sounds awful but you know what I mean .

Got myself in a tiz this morning and decided I couldn't feel baby moving as much as usual (probably due to not sleeping very well and being up at 4:30!). Ended up on maternity ward attatched to CTG for half and hour, then a bit longer 'cos the student midwife wanted to make sure everything was okay. Baby started jumping around in there as soon as she hooked me up, to the point that you could see massive kicks . Made me feel better though, as did a nap this afternoon. Also they decided that the baby is head down so that's a relief.

Don't know why a midwife would refuse to help at a water birth due to HIV, surely you could just request one who would? Haven't you had the screening anyway as part of regular antenatal care? Don't they get long gloves for sticking their arms in the water, unless she's planning on getting in with you? (wonders off picturing midwife wearing gloves as seen on vets in practice)

Sorry cross posted xx

Yes I am in the UK, i'm in London. I was given a one-to-one MW because of previous surgeries and bad experience having my appendix out a month before getting pregnant. Funnily enough, I have seen five different MWs and only just met her last week at 33 wks so it's actually more of a curse than a blessing!

I just really had my heart set on a waterbirth after watching all these videos. It just looks so much more relaxing. Oh well!

Oh I see AbsB, how annoying getting one who was so inflexible. I think I would investigate changing if I were you.

AngelaCarleen - glad it all turned out OK today.

Hi Absb if I was you I would request that you change midwives. It's your birth (not hers!) so you should be able to do it how you want.

Angelacarleen glad you are ok.

I spent last night in A&E with an asthma attack. This cold i've got has totally screwed up my asthma and to be honest I don't feel any better tonight. I will try and get to morning and go and see a GP. Wish my DP was here in the week, it was horrible being alone and unable to breathe. Then having to wait round A&E for hours with noone made me feel even worse Just hope that this situation doesn't repeat itself for the birth.

Ha, just had a very strange image in my head when you said you were a manic arse cleaner!!

In my defence, I have just been swabbed.