Due september thread 9

[pooka]

Blimey already at No.9

I just can't get the hang of this type smile thingy etc! Oh well, I am blaming it on pregnancy!!!

Hi Picadilly Circus . Thanks for telling me where to find all the Sept mums. You are the first mum I have met due on the same date as me! Do you know whether you are having a biy or a girl?

We don't know if this is going to be a boy or girl - after much deliberation we did ask, but the baby wasn't co-operative!

We already have a DS who will be 22 months when his brother or sister is born. I'm not sure what he will think of the new arrival but we will wait and see.

I didn't have a water birth so can't help with that one - but will say that I had an episiostomy when DS was born and it healed fine. The thought of it was worse than the reality, if that makes sense.

Hopefully someone else with more experience of water births will come along at some time (there are either lots of people posting or no one).

There is a stats thread for you to put your details on if you would like.

I am "working from home" today and and watching the Baby House programme on ITV at the moment (as well as Mumsnetting )Not sure I could manage to watch it too often - it is a bit annoying .

Hi all and welcome Paddysmum. Add yourself to our stats thread here

I'm planning a home waterbirth and did a great waterbirth workshop at the Active Birth Centre on Sunday, run by Janet Balaskas - quite inspiring (though realistic at the same time). Waterbirth certainly reduces the risk of medical interventions; this article and others on the net say it does reduce the risk of tearing. Tearing per se is not necessarily a big deal though - I had tears last time and they didn't cause me any trouble to speak of, although I know they do for some people.

Our posts crossed PC - great minds etc

Hi paddysmum, as Franch says I think that a waterbirth does reduce the chances of tearing. I tore with both of mine, but only needed stitches with ds1, with ds2 it healed fine without them. And both times I didn't know I had torn - didn't feel it at all. Have to say though that being stitched after ds1 was not a nice experience.

Paddysmum - I too am planning a waterbirth (my first baby), and I have read that it can help reduce the risk of tears. I have also heard that perineal massage in the last 6 weeks can help as well.

Hi paddysmum. I had a waterbirth at home with my first and I can highly recommend it for pain relief. I didn't actually give birth in water but I used it throughout labour. I didn't tear either but that might just be luck!

Blimey Lady L, just had a look at that link - and here was me thinking that perenial massage just involved rubbing a bit of olive oil on the outside of your lady bits for 5 minutes every day - had no idea it was so involved !!

I can only imagine what dh will say if he catches me doing perineal massage - he may not stop laughing before the birth!

Quick query/survey for all you second/third timers: how long does it generally take from knowing you're definitely in labour to needing to go to the hospital for a first baby? I'm getting a bit worried about getting dh home from work in time.

I think everyone is so different Piccalili. My waters broke (well, some of them anyway!) at 10.30pm and my contractions started immediately with only a couple of minutes between them so I was told to go straight to the hospital. I was three cm dilated half an hour later and had DS by 3.00am. Here's hoping i'm as quick this time, but like you starting to worry DS might be at work when it all starts! Mind you, if all goes to plan we should have a house of builders on my due date ( what timing) so may arrive at hospital in a white van!

We chatted to mw about perineal massage at antenatal class and she said (from her own personal experience) that it should hurt quite a bit when you are doing it. Just cant see myself inflicting pain on myself for 6 weeks! This is all making me cross my legs.
Our health visitor parentcraft group didnt happen this afternoon after took time off work. What eactly is role/duties of a HV?

Re: the perineal massage. Are some of you not feeling a bit 'stretched' down there already...? Every time I sit down to go to the loo, I feel it. I suppose it might be associated with the mild hip / pubic pain I'm experiencing, as I imagine the tectonic plates of my pelvis moving apart...

Good luck on the water births - do keep an open mind (on hospital ones)- They will not let you use one unless you have absolutely no health/pregnancy problems, and in my area there is only 1 or 2 so it depends if they are in use (first come first served) Having said that I'd have loved to have had a go! Sadly thats an experience I wont get as a previous cs. Good luck with the massages!

Glad I'm not the only one feeling completley exhusted?? I cant every remember feeling so tired(well perhaps the day ds was born!)9 weeks to go! Is any one feeling full of life?? and whats your receipe?

Kiwifruit - I agree, I thought you just rubbed a bit of oil on the general area and bob's your uncle, so to speak And how you are supposed to reach down there to do all this in comfort in the last 6 weeks is a bit of a mystery to me!!

Boompi - I have done a placement with some health visitors when I was a student nurse, but I am still a little bewildered as to what they actually do! When I went out with them, they ran clinics where people came to weigh their babies, talk about feeding, jabs, sleeping, or anything that was worrying them. They also visited new mums (from 10 days after giving birth onwards) to weigh the baby, and just for general support. They are quite knowledgeable about things, although it's definitely on the child-rearing / life-with-a-new-baby front, rather than advice on birth / labour etc... I had a letter from a HV a couple of months ago, asking me to go to the health centre to see her if I wanted, but to be honest I wasn't sure exactly what I'd be going for!

RedHelen - I am feeling pretty tired these days too, although I have just forced myself to go for a brisk walk (was well-puffing by the time I got back!) for half an hour, and I do feel better. Am even contemplating doing my Pilates dvd!! Have felt pretty done-in these past couple of days, not sure there's much we can do about it. Might yours be partly due to your anaemia?

Hi Paddysmum, I'm due the day after you and hoping for a waterbirth at the maternity hospital. I'm a bit worried about tearing aswell, some of my friends used almond oil or grapeseed oil and it seemed to work.
Think I may be finishing work a week earlier now as have holidays still to take. Which means only 5 full weeks of work to go - yipppeee!
I'm very tired aswell.

STM has been quiet the last few days, she's normally chatting every day?? Hope everything is ok.

a midwife will come to see you for the first 10 days or so after the birth, it could be every day or every few - depends on how you are getting along I think, and they can help with all the initial questions, they also keep a check on you to check that you are recovering OK.
With ds1 when the midwife came round for her second visit she asked if I had any questions - and I pulled out an A4 piece of paper that I has scribbled loads down on as I thought of them .
After that the health visitor takes over and will come and see you a couple of times for weighing the baby and I think the hearing test, and after that you go to see them if you want to, and if you want the baby weighed.

First labours are usually very long, Piccalili (12-24 hours), and pre-labour can last for hours or days.

General advice for first timers is to leave it as long as poss before going in to hosp - call your midwife for advice if you wish but my antenatal teacher first time round said 'If you're able to hold a conversation, you're not ready to come in!' Have a bath, have something energy-packed to eat, have a rest if you can, otherwise keep upright and walk around if you want to get the contractions going. A number of mums I know got turned away from the hosp the first and even second time they went in because they weren't dilated enough.

As for knowing when you're definitely in labour: at the Janet Balaskas class I went to on Sun, she said 'If you're not entirely sure whether you're in labour or not -- you're not.'

Oh BTW, I tried perineal massage last time and it didn't stop me tearing. I hated doing it so won't be bothering this time!

And yes, I too am constantly exhausted just now. Just in time for our trip for the States ...

My first one was 23 hours am hoping for a shorter one this time round!! They did not turn me away when i went in as my waters had broken I therefor spent a very boring day in hospital before labour actually started properly!!!

Yes your right LadyLazarus - I hope is big part of my exhustion is the anaemia - but when I read the comments from other September ladies - I'm not so sure!

• but I hoping normal service will be resumed soon (I've broken a glass, spilt my tea and trood on nursery ceramic today) the broken ceramic was a teddy wearing a nappy - it was a gift when I had my son - it gave me the creeps - so probably for the best. Are those of you working from home/on mat leave watching Baby house (2.15pm ITV) - talking of giving me the creeps!!!Find it complusive viewing but the births scare me!

I read a study from St Thomas' about perineal massage. In their study it reduced the risk of tearing by about 6%! I think the odds were higher if you were over 30 and a first time mum. LAst time I was very worried about stitches -it was the one thing I didn't want but ended up having an episiotmy and had to have loads. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I imagined and I was out and about (slowly mind) a few days later. Bit of a means to an end. The only tip I've heard about water births is to fill them sooner rather than later or you'll be delivering the baby while DP/DH is still trying to inflate/fill the damn thing!

Those who are on No2,3,4,5? What are you doing about cot mattresses? With DS I'd read all the articles saying that you shouldn't re-use then between children so dutifully spent a small fortune on the mattress (got the cot from SIL). I'm feeling a bit more laid back this time. It has a removable, washable (60 degree) zip on cover and is a sprung mattress so it's not like there is going to be a big dip in it or it'll be soiled. Can't rhink why else they would recommend new one. Any thoughts/views/facts?

Pooka, are you still going to Yoga? I'm really enjoying it!

Was in a different office today and was talking to one of the managers who is due early August. When I commented that I was a couple of months behind she looked confused and said she hadn't noticed I was pregnant!!! I was very happy! (baggy workshirt!!)

hey girls,

Sorry for no posts, but got told off at work for being on here too much during work hours so rthey've taken away by interent access between the hours of 9 and 5 for two weeks, so i;m having to catch up in the evening! Forgot how talkative everyone is during the day!

I got told am i sure i'm 6 1/2 months gone...they're saying i;'m really small...i thought i was quite big, but then i do work with loads of guys who all have bigger bellies than me....must be all that beer!!

Still haven't bought material for my bridesmaids dress, for my sis's wedding yet. it;s next month!! Just aswell the person making it, reckons she can do it in a week, a job for maternity leave me thinks - must buy material!

Hope everyone's alright, at least it's cooled down a bit now