Due in July 2005 - Part 5 (The Last??!!)

[Bagpuss30]

OK everyone, here it is. Who will be first to post their announcement I wonder?

i really like the wilkinet bagpuss. it's a bit of a faff to put on the first few times, but i think i've cracked it now. it holds the baby to your body much more tightly than the baby bjorn. apparently it's designed with women's bodies rather than men's in mind. dp snorted when he heard this.... and ours is in a nice pinstripe green cotton, very important! as was the fact i got it second hand for half price & can sell it back to the shop when we've finished with it.

but i reckon you should get a new buggy too .

it's dp's first day back at work today. ds is in nursery, so it's just dd & i. actually it's rather nice & peaceful! may attempt some gentle shopping later, but i suppose i should do some tidying first. bah.

hope everyone's well.

Congratulations Pinkmama! Brings a whole new meaning to the meaning 'homebirth' I feel! Good luck Mirashark and Harriet today. Still nothing to report here. Baby is still quite active and we keep urging it to come on out if wants to do so much stretching! I'm going to the hospital tomorrow for my 'poke-around' IYSWIM! I'm glad we're all going post-natal together!

Hoxtonchick, DON'T encourage me . dh will probably kill me if I so much as mutter the b word, although he has accepted that our maclaren has got a broken brake and I cannot be running after it every time I get it out of the car boot, so a new buggy it will have to be. I am tempted by the wilkinet too though - can you bf in it? I was also considering a huggababy (seeing as ds2 likes to bf permenantly) but I'm not sure now.

You are so lucky having some time with dd - I am on a countdown to Sept 13th when I will have my first afternoon free with ds2 only - ds1 will be at school and dd will be at nursery. Much as I love them all, I think it will be really nice to have some time with ds2 alone as its a bit mad here at the best of times and he usually ends up just fitting in with what the other two are doing.

Merryberry, if you are anything like me, it took me about three weeks to be able to get out of the house on my own with ds1. It does get easier but at the moment I am fairly confined to small shopping trips while I have all three children with me! Good luck for today - bf cafe sounds good, nothing like that round here in rainy Manchester.

Bagpuss - sorry my post made you cry - were my pictures that scary ? LOL. There is La Leche League centre in Manchester BTW. Oh, and I found one baby café for you - here .

merryberry - were you heading for Talacre Sports Centre ? It's on our list of baby cafés, and maybe dw would be more inclined to venture out if there was someone in the room to say 'hi, my husband knows you from some whacked out Internet thang' LOL !!!!!! BTW - were there any blokes in the room ? (In Oxford, I stayed, and at different times a few nervous-looking blokes ventured in. The counsellors did ask everyone if they minded having bear grapplers around. I think we're more welcome at the cliinics, where it is to address problems, get support than at the cafés where, although bf counsellors are around, part of it is the social network of other bfing mothers IYSWIM).

Bagpuss, I didn't realise you were in Manchester. I'm in the north west too, near Liverpool. We have a breastfeeding cafe here but I haven't checked it out yet. I don't want to take the boys there, so I am willing my in-laws to come back from their weekend escape. I don't know how I'm going to cope without them!

How is your DP's wrist doing, Mirashark?

LOL Hub, wasn't the pictures actually (but your dd is gorgeous btw) just the thought that this is it now for the antenatal thread - doesn't seem like five minutes ago that we started it . I was going to add earlier that I have the opposite problem to you - ds2 looked about a month old when he was born and all the newborn clothes that I had packed for him fitted like a glove. I had a go at measuring him (our hospital don't do it) and he is about 56 cm long - I've had to adjust the straps on his car seat once already!! Thanks for the link - if I ever get much older child free time I will bear it in mind!

Mrsd, I didn't realise that you were in the north west too. We live in Cheshire but dh works in Manchester.

Hello all - and congrats to all the new arrivals!! Who hasn't dropped yet???? Pamina?

Hi Tessiebear - yes a three boy family! Wow. ds1 and ds2 ADORE their baby brother. Loads of kisses for him and a right snotty cold at 4 days old from ds2. Poor Bo.
Bo lost no weight (weighed at 5 days) as he is a champion breast feeder. Feeds for 10 minutes and then sleeps for FOUR hours. Managed to feed at 11pm, 3am and 7am night before last and last night he slept 12-5am. Can't be bad. I am actually getting quite a lot of sleep!!!!

Delighted to have only been in hosp for 2 days - despite the section, and feel fully recovered and in no pain any more.

I too love having three children- it looks and feels right. I would have another (and another, for that matter), but dh not up for it, so I'm feeling a little sad that this is my last baby . This diddy stage is SO adorable.

Good luck to those still waiting.... xxxx

Pamina update - thought you should all know they are en route to the hospital right now!

Yes H2D it was the Talacre. It was fine, loud, but fine. The treetops jungle gym was heaving with school holidayers and the tannoy was in a bad mood telling them offf for running up the slide +++

But the l'il lass running the group was game, the other mums (bar one, there's always one and for once it wasn't me ) were lovely ladies. I had the youngest babe in arms, ranging up to 11 months. No men at this mtg, will ask for you if I go again. Two PG ladies as well, they join in once a month. So next week there's just us nursing mums.

Tell D I'm the fat 37 year old, Franky, if she comes along. Aka whacked out cyber freak .... cackle

Wow - good luck Pamina.
Hello everyone. Finally able to grab a moment to pass on our very happy news that we had a gorgeous baby girl on Monday 18 at 4.45 am. She is still awaiting a name - pressure is mounting from grandparents. She is sleeping right now as is Ds1 so a rare quiet time. Baby girl manages to sleep through Ds1's train impressions and occassional tantrums which is great for us - the sleep not the tantrums.
The labour was sooo much quicker than last time. She was born at home in the water after 2 hours and 45 minutes of very strong contractions. Then 5 minutes of pushing and she was out and glided to the surface. It is a bit of a haze to me but i reached forward and lifted her onto my chest. Ds1 was asleep in his room next door and fortunately did not wake.

A little later both Mum and baby were nearly totally submerged when I started slipping on the base of the pool. We were rescued by dh and midwife!

We are totally in love with her and once again I want this tiny stage to last and last. Ds1 is coping well but wants Mummy to do things for him a lot more.

Big congratulations to all the new arrivals - I tried to catch up with this thread last night and ran out of time to add my own note! Special good luck again to Pamina and also to Harriet and Mirashark. Congratulations again to mrs darcy and also to Lolasmum and Pinkmama. Good luck to those still waiting.

I also think it would be good for everyone to go to antenatal thread together.

Re the wilkinet - my sister gave me one when I had ds1 and he was definitely very snug in it and it was very comfortable to wear. dh was also happy to wear it. Also had a sling - huggababy - which was very useful for several months and very easy to slip baby in and out of. Looking forward to hearing of arrival of more babies. xx

Dear whacked out cyber freak aka merryberry, LOL. Sounds a bit noisy for us right now, but maybe in a few weeks. I'll tell DW to keep an eye out for a fat old lady with a WiFi sniffer on her keyring and carpal tunnel wrists.

MommyD - You're out so quick ! Well done ! Soooo....... what did you think of the Royal Free ??? Was it OK ? If you want diddy, you'll have to meet up with merryberry / dw and our bean somewhere cos my babba will get you instantly REQUIRING a 4th from your poor dh, LOL.

Good luck Pamina !

latearrival - Big congrats. You have 42 days to name, so hold out till everyone goes spare !!!!!!!! LOL...

BTW - do you think the huggababy was a good sling ? DD is just 2.4 kilos and it looks like it might be a lovely snug fit for her when she hits six pounds... that or the Hug-a-bub which seems a bit more upright, which I think babba would like for the chest to chest proximity IYSWIM. Don't suppose you tried both ? Anyone tried the 'New Native' - it's suitable for newborns but as the baby sits quite low looks like it might be a bit dodge on the old back.... (loads of other slings on that page if anyone is interested).

Yes hub2dee - baby born 11:36am Tuesday 12th July. Discharged about the same time on Thursday 14th- yippeeeeee...... The Royal Free has been great with all my 3 babies BUT I have more babies at home that need me, so a quick exit was required!

No chance of a fourth... dh has spent two weeks at home for the first time in a LONG time and sees how hard it is with three of three and under. Because of my age, I would want to try for a 4th when ds3 is a year so MIGHT end up with 4 under 5. I'd never persuade him to go for number 4 and am not sure 4 c-sections is a good idea. I have recovered SO well from all three, I'd feel as if I was pushing my luck

How's Camille?

LOL @ your dh wondering 'wtf ????' with all his little ones running around LOL !

Camille is next to me in her Mountain Buggy Terrain Carrycot which we use for daytime naps. She seems to be happy farting away in delicious slumber.

Hello Everyone. Good luck Pamina and big congratulations to Latearrival. SOunds like a good birth!

Well, can't beleive that I was worrying that I wouldnt get my homebirth because they have been very busy lately, because as you already know it was rather speedy and there was no way I was going anywhere! DH was total star, very very proud of him, and rather proud of myself. If someone had told me we would end up delivering ourselves I would have been camped out at the hospital from week 37, but once its happening you just have to do it I guess.

So for those who want teh gories here goes (if I keep saying it it mights seem real), for those who dont turn away now!
I got up Sunday morning simply because I couldnt sleep. Had dreamt about having tummy ache, so guess I must have been having some pain during the night. Was making cup of tea at 5.30 with very mild period type pain when I had a show. Thought I would have a bath just in case and luckily decided to wake dh up at last moment before I got in it. Woke him up at 5.55, sat in bath talking about getting kids up at 7ish and giving them breakfast before parcelling them off. Had two very short contractions 5 mins apart and waters went at 6.15. Rang hospital to let them know and from there on it all went a bit mad. Managed to get kids out of house by 6.30 which was good as I was beginning to make those delightful mooing sounds (which my dd now laughs at me for). I started to panic a bit as pain was very intense and I thought there is no way I can manage this I need to go to hospital and be knocked out, but now I realise why it felt so bad. Got DH to ring hospital back to say its all a bit fast and they said mw on way. Then at about 6.45 told dh thought we would have to do it ourselves, and sure enough we did! Pushed her out in less than 5 mins which was relief as ds took 2 hours and an episiotamy. MW turned up 10 mins later just in time to sort out placenta!

Dh remained incredibly calm, for which I will be eternally grateful. He has always had a reputation for being clumsy, but I will never let it be said again.

So we now have a delicious daughter. She was the smallest of my 3 weighing in at 8lb 6oz. DD is so proud and can't stop cuddling her, ds doesn't like her and wants me to swap her for a boy!

i have seen a photo of pinkmama's dd2 & she is yummy. lol at your ds! she also looks bigger than my dd is at almost a month!

exciting news about pamina, lets hope there's an announcement soon.

oh, and my other bits of news for the day - i am wearing jeans which i didn't manage for almost a year after having ds (& then the were much bigger) so am v. happy, and ds has renamed dd noodle poodle doodle .

Well done for getting back into your jeans so quickly. Its a big achievement to be able to so quickly.

at your jeans success, hoxtonchick! I put on a lot of weight before I became pregnant so have an uphill struggle just to acheive non-pregnant porkiness!

Pinkmama - I take my hat off to you and your DH. Very impressive stuff

Well done Pinkmama! Good luck Pamina!!
Have been to hospital for overdue check and had a much more favourable internal as things have moved along a good bit and had a proper sweep this time. Had contractions while on monitor and nurse confirmed they're the real thing, and I've been having them all day - good strong ones but still irregular. Had a good pink show as well so hoping and praying I'm gonna need to go in tonight if the pace picks up - can't wait! Good news on DP's wrist is he doesn't need an operation after all, just needs to leave cast on till September so that's ok. He's sleeping now in case we've a long night ahead of us - I hope and pray I need to go in tonight and the whole thing snowballs into a birth by tomorrow!
Didn't get to read today's thread properly so sorry if I missed anyone's news, will catch up soon. Hope to have some news soon, fingers crossed XXX

oooooh, exciting, GOOD LUCK mirashark!

good luck mirashark!

h2d, i have the new native sling. it is fab for short local trips, all day wear in the house and i've not tried it on longer trips out. all for 23 quid.

vin is still quite small and needs a boost under him: i use a folded towel. he stops crying as soon as i start walking. much better than the pram.

i've got a strong back, and don't feel a thing wearing him. it is suhc a relief for my poor tortured carpal hands I can tell you!

compared to other slings you can only wear babe in a couple positions, but that suits me. the size i have is too small for dp though and he likes the look of wilis and baby bjorn's so we're going to get on of them too.

anyway get 'the carrying kind's' catalogue and they have comparison chart between the slings. huge range of them. just a google away..xfx

Good luck mirashark and pamina!

Well done hoxtonchick for getting back into your jeans! I keep trying mine on and they fit and are comfy but just don't look right at the moment. dh said I was thinner this morning so at least I know some weight is coming off.

Well, I definately am in the market for a new sling now. Went to mothercare yesterday and put ds2 in the baby bjorn and he went nuts again - I don't think he likes the uprightness of it - also it seems uncomfy to me as well. Still hardly any further on with lightweight buggy shopping either. I can't make up my mind as there are too many to choose from, but I miss having my maclaren in the boot of the car and the E3 we have just takes ages to set up from folded.

Pinkmama, nice to have you back and well done on your home birth .

Thanks for the info merrycackleberry.

Go mirashark ! Go Pamina !

Look out for a birth announcement from Pamina Towers soon.... Don't want to spill the beans but all is fine
Best of luck to those still waiting and congratulations Latearrival and Pinkmama
Hoxtonchick you are so off my Christmas card list now

Congrats latearrival.

pinkmama - what an amazing story.

hub2dee - gorgeous, gorgeous photos and film clip!

Come on new babies.....!

Must get back to my nesting....