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

Ive just had the best news ever, one of my best friends is pregnant after her 3rd try of IVF.
My pregnancy has been especially hard for her to come to terms with so have only seen her once in the last 8 months.
Hopefully all good now and I have the biggest smile on my face this morning.

Mawbroon,how are you doing? Hope you're feeling OK.

I had a Baby Bjorn Active for DD, which I loved and used until she was nearly a year. This time my uncle in Sweden has given me a Red Castle Sport (I think - he appears to have printed the instructions from the web for it), which looks much the same but is great as the Baby Bjorn is with a friend (it has been with several friends, all of whom have loved it).

I had a non-vibrating bouncy chair for DD, which was fabulous (it had handles, so I could carry her round the house in it, and went completely flat so she could sleep in it too). It's a Chicco snd was originally my sister's so this child will be about the 5th to use it! I am also borrowing a swing on the recommendations of all of my friends who have had number two and said that it was a godsend in the evenings when you are trying to deal with a baby and a toddler.

Better go, I am paranoid about going into labour before I've done my tax return!

Hi all, I have had the most terrible cold for the last three days and feel rubbish. Does anyone know if I can take lemsip which contains paracetamol. I know i'm allowed paracetamol but am feeling a bit paranoid about taking anything...

Was supposed to have 34 week scan today and mw appointment but don't think i should go to the hospital and infect everyone else.

I am inhaling olbas oil which works really well...

AND my legs, ankles and feet have swollen so much there is no definition between my calves and my heels, all one straight puffy line. Have tried legs up, massage, drinking tonnes of water and fresh ginger tea, I've suddenly gone from looking very pregnant with a bump to complete whale, nearly overnight!!!

SOrry this is a very me, me, me post, but i'm feeling very sorry for myself and need cheering up!

Oh, and the joys of working from home now, I would have called in sick but am able to work from home computer so bollocks to that!

AbsB - sympathies for your cankles, mine are exactly the same. I can highly recommend the Sanctuary cooling leg and foot spritzer, which you can buy on-line if not in London, it doesn't really take down the swelling but it does really make them so much cooler and means I can get shoes on.....
Hope you feel better soon.

AbsB I'm in the same boat, sorry for myself since Friday and at home off sick "working from home" today.

I have been telling everyone I have manflu as it's only a cold but has made me feel so dreadful!

Lemsip contains anti-congestants / things that dry up mucous and I think they might be not recommended for during pregnancy for that reason. Not entirely sure why or if they are definitely bad either but I'd steer clear until you can call a pharmacist to check.

I'm managing with paracetamol and hot Ribena or hot lemon squash at the moment along with a tissue mountain.

Make sure you take two paracetamol at a time i.e. a 1000mg dose. My GP told me early on this pregnancy that it's a complete waste of time taking only one 500mg tablet (what I was doing when I had headaches, thinking I was being good by restraining myself on the drug intake) as that is actually a child's dose sufficient only for a 7-12 year old weighing 25-40kg and is more or less insignificant for an adult. Without exceeding the dosage over 24hrs of course.

Hope you feel better soon.

Glad it all went well Mawbroon, good to have you back.

Abs and Binzle I know what you mean about the cankles, I have them too, and fingers like sausages so I can't wear my rings. I think Lemsips a no-no but paracetamol is fine. Could you try real lemon and honey in hot water as a soothing drink? Like a hot toddy minus the toddy...

I had a complete hormonal meltdown this weekend. Poor DH just didn't know what to do with me and I was just a snottery crying blob of tears

I got a couple of carriers a few months ago. Was given a front carrier like a baby bjorn but a mothercare version and got a babasling off ebay really cheap. We'll give them a try, it all seems to be personal preference and down to the shape of you and your baby though.

I'm really hoping my Blooming Marvellous order of bigger trousers comes today. I need those bigger sizes or I'll end up staying in my PJ's for the whole of the next month!

Hi All,

Sorry I have not been on for ages, have been so busy trying to get the house sorted before the baby arrives!

I've finally made a decision versus C-sections and VBAC, well actually the consultant and the midwife have made the decision for me which is so much easier - so hurrah I am booked for a c-section on the 28th January so in 11 days time I'm going to be a mummy again!

I have to admit to being horrendously nervous about being a mum to a newborn again, two of my friends have recently given birth and I'm just coming to the realisation of how hard it is going to be!

Also, worrying how this is all affecting my DD as I will be in hospital for several days - how is everyone else who has children already preparing their children?

Sorry to hear that you're feeling unwell AbsB - I had a nasty cold a few weeks ago and was told that I couldn't have lemsip, I ended up having the same as Midnightsun, I hope you feel better soon.

Hope everyone's pregnancy is going well.

Thanks for the bouncing chairs thoughts. I must have been getting muddled with the idea that they might be unsafe, but we think we will probably go for a non vibrating one instead (and eat our words if necessary!). I'll let DH break that to SIL, but I guess we'll have to get used to making some different choices. So many potential minefields!

Great news about your friend binzle! My friend finally conceived on IVF and it was such a joy. Though they have had a very difficult pregnancy, and though they are now well into 20 something weeks still won't quite accept that they're 'safe'. It's a hard line for them to tread.

Getting well wishes for all the cold suffers... as if being pregnant wasn't enough! Take it easy.

Some Lemsips do only contain paracetamol, so check the ingredients Abs. Paracetamol is fine, as is ascorbic acid (vitamin C) but decongestants (such as phenylephrine) less so. Inhaled decongestants (such as Olbas oil) are fine.

Totally agree with the comment about paracetamol dosing - one 500mg tablet is sub-therapeutic and you may as well not bother. The same goes for cold remedies, which sometimes contain less than 1,000mg (which is what you need) so you can "top up" with a tablet. The main thing is not to exceed four doses of 1,000mg in 24 hours, and be sure that the doses are at least four to six hours apart.

Fluid retention is a horrible thing. If it's very sudden and severe, aren't you supposed to get it checked out as it can be a sign of raised blood pressure?

MusicalMummyJules, you may be the first to deliver at this rate! Congrats on having your section booked and good luck with it. I'm sending DD to my in-laws for the requisite amount of time I'm in hospital as she goes there for sleepovers reasonably regularly and is totally used to it. If I'm in for longer than a couple of days or nights, DH will bring her home and have her there. But my feeling is that she'd be more freaked out by being at home with people other than me and DH, hence the decision to send her to the ILs.

We've also read a few books on babies and she's helped me get the room ready and pack bags, so I'm hoping she's as ready as she can be for the massive upheaval to her life. We've also looked at photos and videos of her as a tiny baby, so she can see how small her sister is likely to be, and get to grips with the fact that there will be some crying!

Thank you for all the advice! Really helpful.. sorry you're feeling rubbish too midnightsun, I find fresh ginger and fresh lemon with hot water really helps to soothe my throat...
I was asking about the lemsip because DP announced that we were out of paracetamol but could take lemsip, so I said I would consult my friends and experts on Mumsnet! Thank God I did!
watercress, you sound very knowledgeable, I think you're right about getting severe swelling checked out, I had my BP taken a few days ago and it was low/normal so I'm hoping I can wait until my next mw appointment on Monday. My sister had pre-eclampsia with her twins a couple of years ago, which was all pretty scary so I am aware of it.

MusicalMummyJules, you must be so excited about meeting your LO in eleven days time - I can't comment about having other children but I have seen lots of posts on this thread about pg ladies with toddlers, and I'm full of admiration as I'm completely self-absorbed at the moment and can't imagine having to deal with anyone else!!!

I will send DP out to get some paracetamol when he gets back from work...

I don't think I've ever felt this unattractive so staying at home is a blessing for everyone else ... Spent the day at home with a friend from California yesterday who is a yogi and is really beautiful. I felt like such a snotty lump next to her! I had to remind myself that I'll have a baby at the end of this... which is easy to forget!

Sunnybump my maternity jeans are starting to feel really tight so I'm planning on wearing tracksuit bums or pyjamas... I spent far too much money on mat clothes for the second trimester thinking they would be enough... WRONG!

Anyway, back to bed, don't start work until 1pm...

Oh binzle meant to say that great news about your best friend. Fingers crossed her pregnancy goes well. I have a similar situation with a really good friend, we were both trying to conceive for ages and I felt really guilty about falling pregnant. Spent the first 25 weeks not drawing attention to myself but she is being really good about my pregnancy now and we can talk about it openly. Every day I wish it would happen for her too... [fingerscrossed]

sunnybump I can no longer fit into any of my maternity jeans I think I have put on way too much weight.

Sleep is now out the window, having bragged at how good I've been feeling and a few of my friends told me I still look glowing. I didn't sleep on Saturday, had a big lunch party on Sunday, went for a long walk on Sunday afternoon and was awake most of last night again. I had a nap this morning, but couldn't sleep for more than about forty minutes before everything starts aching. I always find myself waking up on my back though, which isn't supposed to be that good for blood flow to the placenta.

The good news, for me anyway, is that I had my final toxoplasmosis blood test today and my final, final, test is next Monday for the epidural. I have now had at least one blood test every month for the last seven months, sometimes two or three.

I too can't believe that we are still without a baby on this thread! Maybe some of those who have posted earlier on just haven't had time to come back and tell us their news.

Hello ladies,

Firstly, I have to apologise for not being on for about a month, can't believe how time flies! Have read the last few pages, glad you're well mawbroon

Am booked in for a c-section on the 1st Feb and can't wait to meet my little one. My girls threw me a surprise baby shower on Saturday (read massive girly piss up with loads of gossip and presents and me being very sober and taking photos to blackmail with at later date!) It was ace and my mum even drove 200 miles to make it, I was so touched.
Have everything ready to go, baby engaged and using my bladder as a trampoline, little bugger!
Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy last few weeks and lots of luck for impending births.

Hi everone, so much to catch up on! Get well wishes to all those under the weather, and glad the op went well Mawbroon.

I'm 37 weeks today, I can't believe I now have a full term baby inside me. I mean I really can't believe it, I think I am in some kind of denial .

NCT class at the weekend cancelled AGAIN - the third out of three . I think I may just ask for my money back and hope to make friends at mother and baby groups.

Now I really must start ticking off some of my to-do list or I will never be ready for this baby...

Hello everybody! Lovely to catch up with all your news. Am 39+3 weeks today. Until Friday I was feeling generally on pretty good form but am now feeling very achey down below. I have also been in total need of 'quiet me time' as I was cooped up at home with my sick son all last week. Anyway I shipped both kids off to school today - hurrah!!! and have waded my way through some more tedious and complicated French redtape. I just want to get it done before D-Day! This afternoon I have my 13 year old DD's parents meeting which will probably involve standing up for hours queueing to see all her teachers. We're very lucky in that our DD is a very good all-rounder and is first of her class. It would be tempting to cut short this meeting in the knowledge that most teachers will be harping on about how good she is BUT I need to respect her continous efforts at school by taking this 5 minute (speed dating) meetings with each teacher seriously.

I am feeling a bit shakey today. I was checking up on the January ante-natal thread for recent births (I used to be on it during summer as my EDD is 30th Jan) and I discovered that a lovely lady has just given birth to a Down Syndrome baby. OF COURSE I do not wish to negate the joy she must feel now her precious DD is here nor do I wish to imply that Down Syndrom is a calamity. Absolutely not!!!! It's just that over the summer months she and I went through the similar dilemna of whether to go for an amniocentisis following our tripple blood tests and nuchal scans. The specialist who performed all my scans was pleased with my 12-week nuchal result and recommended for me not to do the tripple blood test as being 40 years old I would get a 'false' high risk result. Being a cautious lady I went ahead and did it and, sure enough, got a 1/189 from the blood test with a combined result of 1/1043. The same specialist performed an 18 week anomally scan and told us that if our baby was Down Syndrome he would change professions. STILL. Now I am left feeling fearful, not just of the uncertainty of the whole labour/birth thing we shall all be going through but also the uncertainty of our child having a disability.

I am really sorry if this post comes across as selfish. If so, please forgive me.

Hi Jardins, you must be so excited about the imminent birth of your baby!
About the other lady who has given birth to a down syndrome baby, my take on this is that she must have opted not to have the amniocentisis having weighed up the risks of miscarriage versus having a child with down's. I wouldn't worry about it, especially since you sound very low risk and your specialist sounds convinced that you are not going to have a baby with down's. Everyone is different and these days lots of people choose to keep their babies even after a down's diagnosis. People's attitudes to down's have really changed and become much more positive. I for one have thought about it and although it would be a shock, I know two or three families with down's children and they are loving, funny and sociable. Your post is not selfish, I'm sure all of us have had thoughts about the 'what if' of having a child with a disability and it's perfectly normal to think this way.

Your DD's parent's meeting sounds EXHAUSTING! Surely you have an excuse to bail out early if you need to???

Flyingcloud I am with you on the sleep thing... isn't it awful? I am looking worse and worse, and between getting up to pee and just general hip and pelvis discomfort, I cannot sleep. I am also having crazy dreams.

Pingucarrier congrats on your c-section booking... that is great, now you have a definite deadline to work towards to get everything done.

Back to work, really struggling here but managed to get paracetamol so already feeling more human!

Hey all,

I'm beginning to panic - everything seems to be unravelling!

Despite the best efforts of DH and various family members, the downstairs of my house is still completely uninhabitable... let alone suitable for a home birth! Am 37 weeks on Friday so I guess it could all happen any time . Spent my lunch hour running around Tesco gathering snacks, drinks, arnica cream and glucose tabs for my hospital bag (now it's looking more likely that I'll actually need it)!

For some reason MIL wants to come down and visit us before LO arrives (I'm sure she'll want to come down asap after LO is born so I'm not sure why ) and DH has decided that she should come down the weekend before I'm due... DH has been on planet DIY since May and I just feel that we have had absolutely no time to just be together, talk about the baby and basically just enjoy being a couple before we become a family - I've done practically all the shopping and preparation for this baby without DH too.

Sigh. Sorry girls, just feels like it's all geting on top of me - needed to have a bit of a self-pitying rant!

Well wishes to all those suffering with colds xx

Watercres I am completely paranoid about the same, the tax return has to be done before bb comes, but the tax office keeps making my life difficult!!

MusicalMummy I am booked for a CS on 28th too, if you are in the UK I might have baby before you though as I am 2 hours in advance. Do they do elCS in the mornings too where you are? a bit scary no? to think that in 10 days we will have a baby. It will be 38 + for me, I wonder how I managed to last till 41+ with DD... It is getting very hard to walk or sit or just relax now
How old is your DD? Mine is a bit older so understand a lot (actually she is 5 today). She will go to school as usual and her dad will take care of her the rest of the day. I hope she will be able to come visit though, the Swine flu epidemic is just starting here, I am not sure if they will ban visits or not yet.
We have read books about baby coming and growing. I try to answer her question as truthfully as possible. Like "how is the baby going to come out, by your mouth, bumbum or tutu? (our word for down below)"
Younger kids are more difficult to prepare as they don't have any sense of timing and consequences. You can prepare them as much as you want they still won't understand it when it is happening. Make sure that the people who care for them tell your story your way (i.e. if your little one is scare of doctors or hospital, make sure the DGP won't say "mumy can't come tonight she is in hospital having baby..." )

Sorry for all tose who have colds.
Mawbroon happy that the op went well. My DH has a huge metal plate in is arm and never set any airport detector on with it, if it can reassure you.

I had a stressful weekend preparing for DD Bday and wondering if it was a good idea to have a swine flu jab on saturday! No after effect at all, and bb seems still happy and wiggling and hic hupping a lot... Hope she will get the antibodies in time for her birth, it is cutting it a bit short!
Snowing again here, so planning to get stuck in this week I just need breastfeeding tea (fennel or/and cumin) for my pack.

jardins you are not selfish. Every mum is wondering till the end if their baby will have 10 fingers and toes and stress about it. I had a meltdown at the midwife last week when she push the issue of me being happy about the baby coming. I had to answer no... Must be hard for your freind to adjust probably more due to other people reactions .
As I am 40, we opted for an amnio, more for the more severe triploidies than for down, but I don't know what we would have done as my parents would have given us no support. In the end, all was fine but I am still worried about a lot of things.
MW said not to be ashamed for having feelings and to talk about it, and having a good cry is actually good for you and not a sign of depression (ante or postnatal). The pregnant women and mum are too stressed and under constant observation nowadays as everybody has to be perfect all the time... (which is impossible in RL)

Jardins you don't sound selfish at all, so please don't worry (and all of you apologising for "me, me, me" posts - really, it's fine, we all have moments and sometimes it's easier to vent to people in the same position on here than others in real life). In fact, I think it absolutely normal that you saw the other mum's post and it made you anxious. It's a worrying time for us all at the moment, our lives are about to be completely turned upside down, and all we want are healthy babies. Of course everybody copes with what ever happens to them, but it's completely natural to have "what if" thoughts when you see something like that - it brings it very close to home. And you are so close to having your LO as well - good luck and keep us all posted.

Very jealous of those of you who know when your babies are coming (congrats on all the C-section bookings, I think mamaloco and pingucarrier are the latest). I'm 36 weeks and just want to get on with it now.

Fluffycoo things sound chaotic for you. Can you put your MIL off? Or is she a useful, get things done type, who you could use to your advantage?!

Loving this snow-free weather, by the way. It's so liberating being able to leave the house!

Hi everyone. I am still at the stage of reading all your posts and being unable to retain terribly much of them!

I can't believe that some of you have section dates booked already. I guess this is what comes with being at the end of the thread!!

I have a scan on 2nd feb and consultant's appointment on 5th to discuss my low lying placenta, however this baby is not turning, I would put money on it, so the placenta thing is probably irrelevant tbh. I am going to ask her what she thinks about waiting until i go into labour rather than do an elective a week early. It could buy me an extra week or two for my ankle.

Perhaps an extra week or two is a drop in the ocean though. I looked up some stuff about surgery and recovery times on google. I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to, but the surgery is done now, so not so scary.... but, there are a good number of things that say that full recovery will take two years so, no way I will go two years overdue.

I will need to think about sending dh up to the loft for stuff. It will be a nightmare. I kind of know where things are when I am up there, but to him, it's a jumble of junk, even though stuff is labelled [bloke] but I will need to get at least a few babygros and stuff washed. I wasn't going to bother getting the pram down, but I will probably need it now for around the house at least.

Planning a trip out on Friday. It iwll be the first time out (other than the hospital) since I broke my ankle. I am going to go to our LLL meeting. The times are just rubbish with DS's nursery times, so I don't get to go very often, but my mum is here to look after him, so my sister can take me (she is going anyway). Hopefully they will make allowances for me and I will get a chair instead of having to sit on the floor!!

bethylou when you said you thought you were in labour last week, what were you experiencing? I had something similar last night. I had regular 'contractions' for almost 2 hours, which were 5 mins apart, started off mildly then got stronger. Then it all stopped! I wasn't convinced I was in labour but I definitely thought I could have been. I am 37+3 now and really hope my body isn't going to play tricks on me like this for the next 3 weeks.

My dd is almost 4 and has always been really excited about the new baby coming. We have read lots of new baby books etc and she has chosen things for him. I have noticed that she has become more emotional and clingy with me in the last few weeks though. It is making me feel a bit guilty about the huge change she is about to go through and the fact she won't get all our attention any more. The famous mother's guilt........

Chinook - I couldn't sit still at all - paced round the room, sat on the ball bouncing etc.. for 2 mins at a time before moving off again. Pains in back and lower abdomen and pressure in my bottom. Then all stopped. If we hadn't been watching the previous series of 24 avidly, I think I would have ended up at the hospital for a cehck-up! Maybe it is the start for you and your body is just having a warm up. I'd like mine to wait another week or so as I'm 35+5 today,although baby measured well over 7lbs today.

Jardins - I work with children who have SEN and about half of them have Down Syndrome. Despite really loving my job, I have still worried about the possibility of having a child with a serious disability/condition and worry during labour about causing brain damage too - sometimes a little knowledge is a bad thing! What I want to say is that it is perfectly natural for us all to consider it, particularly if you have some higher risk factors, but that it is still a slim risk and that when it does happen, people do find a way to cope over time. Keep talking about your worries and try to stay positive. I've developed a useful ability to avoid thinking about things I don't have to deal with yet (hence only just getting baby stuff out of loft after labour scare the other night!!) and I think it is sometimes useful.. for me at least!
Hope you are all ok with colds etc.. and great news about the IVF pregnancy (brain too mushed to remember whose friend - sorry!)

Jardins i've nothing useful to add to the thoughtful comments already posted - other than to say i agree with them!

Back to baby bouncer again... yep - haven't had a vibrating one, but absolutely just a 'normal' one - using this was the only way we got to eat together for about 3 months last time!

IVF news is ace - sorry, i can't remember who's friend either - it reminded me of someone i used to work with - they successfully conceived twins on their third cycle, and a year later added another set, naturally conceived!!! 4 kids under two.... oh my goodness... i have to say now tho, my first thought is 'how on earth did they conceive so shortly after the first two arriving... they must have done IT' blimey

saw mw today - turns out in the space of 4 weeks we've gone from posterior pres to ROA (yippee!!) and now 3/5 engaged! Worth all the crawling around, stairs cleaning and reading draped over a big ball... just need to keep it up now so he doesn't head back where he came from!

good news on the sections for all those already booked! am still heading for vbac here, so hoping to go next week at 37+ rather than hanging on... if get to 40 with no sign of him arriving i'll be booked for 40+ too... DD was 42+1

still horribly hot and sticky here - tho i've come to realise there IS a silver lining to being stuck here at the mo - i've only needed to get flip-flops on my feet since about october!! very different to last time, when i was still (just about) managing to lace up my doc martens at 42 wks!!

My ma arrives here on thurs for 12 wks to look after DD and help out with the new one... yep, 12 weeks!! am going to be on best behaviour, but may need to come and vent every now and again... bless her!

not long til one of us starts our 'post-natal' thread!!

thinking of you all, MN birth buddies!

My beautiful baby boy - Aiden James - born 3.3 weeks early on Sunday 17th January 2010 at 09.30 after a 5&half hr birth. Birthing ball, gas and air, breathing and a lot of concentration!! More news when home from hospital.

Good luck ladies
T4 xx