Due November 09 - 10 days left, who will be next?

[longwayaway]

Last chance for a Scorpio, after this weekend they'll all be Sagittarians!

Have decided that bigger babies like bigger turkeys need longer in the oven

So true. DS1 was 12 days late and weighed nearly 10lbs.

Definitely the case, and whilst a little trickier to hatch are better sleepers once they distinguish between day and night as they have bigger tummies to load up with milk!

My MIL is a nurse who's done the OB rotation, and she says that in her opinion, the overcooked babies are much more mellow while the undercooked ones are 'cranky little things'. I hope that's true for you girls - certainly DS1 (40w10d) was a very easy-going, quick-smiling baby.

I'm loving the thought of all these teary daddies. It's funny, I've never done the instant bonding thing but I've looked over both times to see my husband holding the baby, eyes full of tears, utterly besotted on the spot. Mind you, the man also cried during our wedding vows (although he denies it adamantly).

DS1 was cranky pants personified - sorry to put a spanner in the theory - although he did sleep well at night and slept through at 14 weeks.

DS2 was a biggish baby, total angel, eat and slept all day for 3 months, slept through at 8 weeks.

Come on Toby! Learn from your middle brother - 6 weeks to go

Argh! Am I in the longest labour ever? Or has it 'not really started' yet?

Been having contractions since 4pm yesterday afternoon, after the false start ones from Sunday died down overnight. They were irregular all through the night (9mins, 5mins, 4mins etc) so got little sleep. Got themselves together over today up to about 4/5mins apart for a couple of hrs but then dies away again as I was so tired I had a snooze!

Now coming REALLY strong (like TENS on highest strong) and regular but only every 8 mins. So still have to wait!

Feeling abit more positive - at least something is happening again now, after the dip of little or nothing earlier. But I really didn't realise it would take this looooong!

Lovely to pop in and hear your news - positive labour vibes to the final 6! And yay to staring at newborns katster!

Hang in there, raggie, good things are happening!! I'm envious of all the action you are getting.

Saw the consultant today, but I had nothing to report to him. Growth is all good, (8.5 lbs at this point - please come out soon before you grow any more, little bean!). He offered a sweep but I wasn't really prepared for it so said I would let things go au natural for a bit longer. I have a feeling I'm going to regret that decision!

Booked for another sweep next Tuesday. Cooked a curry tonight but it wasn't hot enough. I just feel so little change that I can't imagine labour actually EVER kicking in!

claire sounds like you are doing a fab job with the feeding of wee Ethan, good work.

Hi guys.

Seems all quiet again. Hope things are progressing everyone.

I had a rollercoaster day yesterday. Had a great visit from my mum 2:30-3:30 then stopped at midwife station after she left to check Ethan's jaundice levels which had been tested in the morning. All fine. Then asked when they thought I could go home, MW said Sat or Sun might be a reasonable expectation as hopefully by then Ethan will be feeding well. I burst into tears in the middle of the ward. DP arrived to find me making my way back to my room unable to recognise him because I couldn't see thru the tears!! Needless to say, Ethan had fed great at 2am and 6am then promptly forgot how to do it in the cold light of day so I'd been delighted to think things were progressing then huge setback during the day.

However, last night I fed him myself at 10pm, 1am & 4am. I knew we could do it ourselves, I think the midwives were stressing us both out, trying to help me manouevre the baby into position with ice cold hands. Obviously a mum & baby trying skin-to-skin to aid breast feeding are not going to like your freezing cold hands all over them!!

Anyway, Ethan knows when to apply himself, I was ready for sending him back yesterday! Weigh in shortly so we will know how much weight he has lost with our feeding problems and as the day goes on we can see how the feeding goes. Hopefully things are on the up now.

I realise now, that midwife yesterday should have told me to take things one day at a time. Why tell me Sat or Sun when the baby could suddenly just get it and the feeding start to work?! You'd think midwifes would know how to work around hormonal women!

Claire you are doing fantastically. It is soooo hard to do it in the hospital when you have huge baby blues setting in too and tiredness.

Thanks BBL - he's feeding just now so 4 in a row. Maybe we've cracked it!

Claire you are doing so well. Do you know what times the MWs are going to come round to watch you feed? If so, you could try and latch Ethan on before they get there to avoid the stress of doing it under pressure? I remember I had a lovely MW checking on me during the day but a bit of a cold woman one of the nights and she totally made me tense up and feel really uncomfortable.
If you do have to stay in, think of it as a good chance to catch up on sleep while there are others around to help. (hugs)

raggie I hope you're in established labour now! Or are even cuddling your newborn baby in fact

I had contractions for a few hours yesterday evening, but they went away again. Now today I would rather not go into labour as DH has his last exam tomorrow morning... I can have a sweep tomorrow and I didn't find it too bad last time, so I will take it. Now I'm just trying to think how to fill another day of waiting around. I spent too much money I don't have in town yesterday, so I think I might have to make do with curling up on the sofa with some crappy daytime tv.

Hi laugs - ugh, daytime telly . I think I'll do some work today, why can't I just enjoy not having to do anything? What's wrong with me? Is this your DH's last exam for now? What is he studying? Good luck for tomorrow.

claire hang in there, you're doing very well.

raggie I hope things are progressing well.

I tried some nipple bothering last night - I think I dreamt I had contractions and that's about it.

laugs just read again that it is his last exam, sorry. I think my brain needs some excercise...

Morning ladies!
raggie, I hope it is too late to wish you good luck! I hope you are already cuddling a little baby
Claire, it sounds as you too finally manage. It is certainly difficult to stay relaxed. As you mention skin to skin, that reminds me what the bf counsellor told me when I struggled at the beginning: When you feel that you are not relaxed, just start from zero, undress both of you (according to her, babies have more instinct when being naked), put him in between your breasts and give him time to discover himself. Try not to be too obsessed by the weight, in different countries they seem to be allowed different times to get back to the birth weight.

and finally lots of labour vibes to the rest of you!

Skorpion you're still working? Wow. My brain collapsed the second I started maternity leave. I can't really enjoy doing nothing either. If I knew this was my last day, or last couple of days, I'd make the most of it. Then again, there is plenty of housework I could be doing but I'm not inclined towards that either . It's DH's last exam until June or July so I think we'll both be glad when it's out of the way. He's studying accounting.
Nipple tweaking: the only thing worse than daytime TV.

Ursi have you started using your sling yet and how do you find it? What make did you go for again?

Hi all

claire great news on the feeding sounds like you've cracked it. It does take a lot of practice and it's harder when you're under pressure so don't feel bad.

raggie hoping this is it for you!

Big wave to everyone else

laugs I do book-keeping at home so might as well catch up on some of it while nothing's happening. Can't face housework at the moment.

Wow, last few accounting exams are awful. Well the whole shebang is - I only managed initial three about five or six years ago and couldn't see it through. Good luck to him!

I know exactly what you mean - I bet as soon as I am busy with constant feeding and changing and cuddling I will remember the looooong list of things I should have done when I still had the chance. But at the moment, I just cannot think of a single one!

Didn't find the nipple thing too bad. Except for the fact that it doesn't work.

Oh it's not the proper CIMA/ whatever exams. He's on the last level of AAT, so has all the hard work to come from next year. He only started working in accounts last year. Unfortunately he was supposed to have at least AAT to do his job, but they took him on anyway on the basis that he would do it - so no pay rise or anything to look forward to! Still, it's good to have it out of the way.

I am losing the will to live watching Homes Under the Hammer so am off out for a walk in the park and then might bake a cake.

Are you going to carry on working while on maternity leave? I sort of feel like I could do a bit of work (with long deadlines), but not sure of the legality of it.

I didn't realise there were legal issues to consider... I am on mat leave from my day job at the Uni and do book-keeping as additional work on s/e basis. I don't take maternity from that. Should I? I just have an agreement with my client to do as much as I can to keep things ticking over for them.

Cake sounds nice, might join you in the baking.

Yours is probably different because your employer is paying your mat leave. I am getting Maternity Allowance as I'm self-employed and don't have another job. So I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be allowed to earn money at the same time as it would mean I'm still working. I think that's fair enough as the state is paying for me to have time off. The problem is losing clients though. I am considering whether I'd work for a couple of them unpaid just to keep in with them. Not sure if that is allowed/ if I can be bothered! Annoyingly, both of them have made it clear they'd still be happy to pay me, even though they shouldn't. Maybe I can think of a way they can pay me in kind...

Ah, good old working mother life... How long are you taking off? Would your clients not make allowances for that? I'm sorry, I don't know how difficult your area is to get back into after a break.

Ignore me if you like, it is not a time to be talking about work!

Laugs, I have a wrap thing and use it sometimes. As she had clicky hips, I only used the style were she is facing me, both legs wide apart (like a frog). Sometimes she likes it sometimes she just screams and wants her freedom I guess. So it's not always the first thing to try for me.
We had the hip scan yesterday and everything is fine so I could actually try the other styles where she might sleep better.

Yeah, let's not think about work now! (not sure how long I'll take off or if clients would wait for me TBH. It's all quite fickle.)

Grr. Just got back from a nice walk in the park to find the midwife has been for my appointment! It's supposed to be tomorrow. I hope I can still have it tomorrow and don't have to wait another week or something.

Thanks ursi - I'm just trying to work out what kind of sling/ wrap would be good for me. Glad Paula's hips are ok!

laugs, I don't know if I can recommend wrap slings. They certainly are really versatile as you can use them in so many different styles. and I am very quick in my favourite one too (even quicker in unwraping). And I really like the quality of the material and the colour (it's a hoppediz, they are very ecofriendly too)
But it seems that Paula is not a great fan. I would need something that fixes her hanging half over my shoulder as this is definitely her favourite

I have a babasling and an old model of the baby bjorn. I think I'll try to use the sling as much as pos for outside as well. It feels quite comfortable sans baby and hopefully will give me freedom from being stuck on the sofa. Apparently you can bf in it too.

laugs how annoying! They can't just expect you to sit around at home and move the appts as they please. I hope she can see you soon - as in tomorrow, when she's supposed to!

Curry for lunch. Come on baby, the eviction notice has been served, pack your things and go!!