February 2010: Babies have started arriving...

[woowa]

and here we are...who'll be next?

Thanks Immaculada for your kind words. I'm just hoping that my combined results of 1/1134 will help to keep me positive through the labour!

Thanks for the boost sunnybump I haven't had a proper discussion with my midwife about the home birth yet, so it's good to know that my house doesn't necessarily need to be finished to accommodate it! Scarily though, the maternity services in my local area have received a massive slagging in the press (for the umpteenth time - the main reason for me NOT going to hospital!) and aparently some home birthers are being told that they'll have to go into hospital after all because there are no midwives available . Fingers crossed that I don't go into labour on a busy day!!

watercress I am totally with you on the "no room left" thing! I feel like someone has attached an air compressor to my belly button and pumped me up! The most disturbing thing though is that, when LO moves violently I can hear a popping noise and feel a twanging sensation which i'm guessing is muscle fibres being stretched! Ewwww! I have a really impressive set of stretchmarks too...

Oh I wonder who will be next to pop - it's so exciting! Do you reckon we should start a list of arrival dates/names/weights like we did with the due dates...?

fluffy thats a good idea, that way all us with 'pregnancy brains' can keep upto date, lol!

Can I join you guys please? I have been looking for the right group and feel like I have come home reading all your comments!!

I am due on 2nd February. I already have 2 DD's and from what they say on the scans have another DD on the way! So I'm 38 weeks today.

It's great to hear that everyone else feels rough and "swollen" down below. This babies head must be getting down there - at my appt on friday they said I was 4/5 which I wasn't expecting as it's my 3rd. I keep getting pains in my bladder and when I bend over to do anything I get horrible pains in my bottom. Today I just feel generally sore and achy down below. And the pains "ring a bell" if that makes sense. They seem familiar and make me think of labour so not sure if that is a good sign or not.

But I feel organised - I have packed my bags, my Tens has arrived. I've transferred and booked in at the birthing centre and finished work now (I'm self employed) so not much else to do. Just wish my 4 yr old and 2 yr old would give me some peace.

Congratulations T4 on the birth of Aiden. DP and I are very encouraged that a first-timer can have a 5.5 hour labour !

Welcome galadriel!

My ladybits don't feel swollen but I do feel as if the baby is about to fall out whenever I'm walking any distance. Or it feels as if there is a bowling ball between my legs. Most uncomfortable! But then I think late pregnancy is bound to be, isn't it . I just wish I could sleep properly at night. I'm sure I'll sleep better with a new baby than I do now, weeing hundreds of times per night (don't disillusion me, please anyone!).

Knackered as usual so off to bed now, good night all.

Kicking off the list then!

T4tastic DS Aiden James 17/01/2010 ?weight?

Will that do...?!

Oh and welcome galadriel to the home of painful nethers!

congratulations T4! excellent news!

welcome galadrielwatercress et al i've no room left either, and new stretch marks arriving daily - must be bigger than i was with DD, though i feel more mobile

Can anyone give me the benefit of shared experience with this one? (also posted a thread on the pregnancy thread)

Think I may have had a show this morning - bit of gunky blood appeared during some - ahem - couple time with DH.

We weren't being especially energetic and the blood wasn't all that much and not bright red or anything. No pains or any other symptoms alongside and the LO seems to be moving about in the same way as always in there (still the wrong way round, though).

I'm currently 35+3 and I've heard that the mucous plug can come out a few weeks before labour is actually due to start, but nevertheless am wondering if I should get myself checked up. Saw the obs/gynae lady last week and had a bunch of blood checks on Mon, everything seems to be fine thus far.

Any thoughts?

IC
Sounds like a show to me, you dont need to do anything about it (apart form get excited that everything is moving along) of course always worth giving you MW a call if worried.

immaculada - no experience of mucus plugs (or birth...), but in england we're told to call whenever we like for advice. I think if i'd had what you describe I'd assume it was the plug too, but no harm in checking. I've also heard that they can go weeks before labour too.

My mum told me yesterday that she didn't see the plug with me or my bro, and only found out they existed with my younger sis. Is that normal? I guess it could just come out with the waters or in labour?

Different MW at aquanatal today, worked us WAY harder, so am now officially doing nothing for the rest of the day! Totally recommend it though if you're feeling achey, even with the awful pain the nethers!

IC - my mucus plug/a show came on Christmas day and still no baby - it's best to check with your midwife but I'm sure it's fine - how exciting for you! Hope you're feeling okay.

Thanks, Ladies - very reassuring to have your words on this one!

I'm not overly worried (especially after MusicalMummyJules' comment), but I think it's probably sensible to go and mention it to the doc - better safe than sorry and all that.

Hi galadrial! Always good to have the queen of the elves on the team!

Morning Immaculada, I think I had a show with my first DC at least a week before the birth. However I recall my midwife telling us a couple of weeks ago that the gunk and blood (LOVELY terminology ) during late pregnancy were normal after sex and/or internal examination and shouldn't be of concern.

I hope that helps!

ps I think you can get very excited though!

i feel like im going to be pregnant forever! i cant imagine this ever being over! i cant remember what its like not being pregnant! dps friends gf has given birth to a little boy 5.11 and she was due after me. shes met her ds and im sooooo jealous! think my lo will keep me waiting weeks and weeks yet! grrrr im sooo impatient!

Ah, thanks jardins, that's very useful to know.

I must say, it's given me quite a frisson and had me hurrying to get the babyclothes washed and stuff. DH said, "oh god, I'm getting a feeling that it's all a bit imminent now!" and promptly dropped the babygrow he was hanging out into a courtyard four storeys below.

Only brake on the anticipation is the damned breech position. If things do make a start soon, it'll be ECS for me, not a prospect I'm relishing! She feels so wedged with head and shoulders under my rib-cage, that I'm not at all sure she's going to do that somersault in time.

Hey ho.

Sorry about "gunk"!! Useful term, though!!

Won't be long now, ems, courage mon brave!

Congrats T4! How exciting!

I'm enjoying day 3 of mat leave.. what a wonderful invention it is. My current fave is a late morning nap courtesy of hypnobirthing CD

But also rushing round getting lots of things ticked off my to do list... hair cut, boiler service, picking up freecycle goodies and birthing pool stuff, browsing for curtains, clothes storage, visiting nurseries, mothercare boring bits and bobs. Does anyone have any tips for maternity bra fitting? As I'm 37wks+ I probably should make that a priority! Easiest just to pop into M&S but there is a NTC fitting service in my area so wondering whether to try them out.

Also... you know the big knickers to wear post birth, buy a cheap pack from Primark tip? Any thoughts on how big is too big? I'm usually a 12 or so, and am wearing my normal nicknacks but under the bump. But if I get the granny shape variety won't they sit on the bump... so am I looking at a size 20+, or are we still talking under the bump? (Sorry, not very clear and a bit personal!). But any thoughts welcome!

Congratulations T$ just checking in quickly and hope everypone is ok..
I have spent since last thursday in hospital with the high bp.. when admitted it was 190/100.. Luckily the tablets have bought it down and I just need to make sure I take it wasy now that I am home.. My FIL has flown out to help woith the children so I dont have to run about after them too much..
Must admit although I missed being at home with the hcildren I did enjoy the rest and now realiase that I had felt like shit even though at the time I didnt think I did but I feel ALOT better now.. ANyway of for a nap Hope everyone is ok..xx

comeonbishbosh all i wud say for maternity bras is that you will be different sizes in different places! iv looked at mothercare and marks and spencer and marks works out to be cheaper so got measured yesterday- except they dont actually measure you jus look and guess but the size she came back with fitted perfectly and was very comfortable, she knew her stuff to as i think they get some training on it in marks. so took the plunge and bought a pack a black and a white one for £25 which isnt that bad. she did say that we are recommended to not wear underwired bras as well. not hugely flattering but very comfortable!

hope this helps

Bras - my tip is to get measured at M&S or Mothercare then buy some feeding bras from Asda (much cheaper) if you have one nearby. Alternatively, do you have anyone you could ask? I have a box (yes really) of feeding bras in all kinds of sizes that does the rounds everytime someone has a baby, and the mum in question just uses the ones that fit her and passes the bag back to me in case someone else needs some!

Knickers - I have been wearing low rise shorts-type pants from M&S for a while now as they are super-comfy. I bought two sizes bigger than normal and they are still fine so will go the distance, I think.

So glad other people are feeling full of baby! Well, not glad exactly, but it's not just me going mad and must be a sign that we're coming to the end of this stage of things. And lots of people having shows as well. It's all go...

I finally had a check-up today and the GP was lovely. He was very concerned about my SPD (said he could see the pain written on my face) so said that if the baby didn't arrive by my due date, he'd trample on whoever necessary at the local hospital to ensure I was induced well before 42 weeks. He also said that one of the other GPs at the surgery has a qualification in acupuncture so would ask him if that would help and give me a call on my mobile if so. Bless. I didn't think I looked that bad but he was clearly worried as he's said that I'm to see him and him only for the rest of my pg!

All else with the baby was fine, so that was good too.

Happy napping ladies!

comeonbishbosh - I have been wearing my normal knickers all through PG - but I do wear the lower rise shorts type ones anyway and they give enough bum coverage.

For hospital and post birth wear when you really need something you don't care about I bought some cheap plain black granny-style pants from Asda. It was £4 for a pack of 6 I think. I am usually a 14 but bought them in a 16 just to allow for the horrible jelly belly thing afterwards. I want them snug enough to feel as if the maternity pad is not flapping around (IYSWIM!!)

I was measured at 37 weeks in Blooming Marvellous for bras. I bought a couple of bras in the sale that were a bargain - about £10 each but may visit M&S as well as I need more than 2. I also bought a pack of soft night-time crop top type bras as they are so comfy. You do need something at night to restrain the ginormous norks and keep breast pads in place so you don't leak milk all over the bed. I would advise a hand towel or something under the sheet for a few weeks where your boobs would usually be as I leaked really badly one night and it made such a mess of the mattress.

I hate maternity bras and so have been wearing normal underwired all the way through and wish I could find an underwired nursing one but it would probably be really uncomfortable!

Hallo all.

Can't believe how close it's getting for us all. And of course, huge congrats to T4! Great news.

Officially booked my homebirth this morning now my placenta has 'moved' out of the way (hope everyone else with previously low-lying placentas has had good news too).

Am hopelessly unprepared though and still have a week and a half of work to go. Roll on....

Hope everyone is feeling ok today.

Congratulations T4T. I hope you are enjoying your lovely new boy and being looked after.

My midwife came round today to do my antenatal check. Everything was fine and she thought the baby was head down. I'm not so sure though, he wiggles all over the place, and will probably pop his head under my ribs later on! DS loved hearing his wee brother's heartbeat. I have always arranged my antenatal appointments for when ds is at nursery!

My ankle is doing much better since i got over the pain of the surgery. I've had no painkillers today or yesterday and am able to hop about the house on my crutches and do a few bits and pieces round the house. My mum has come to stay this week which means that ds is spending more time with me at home rather than being taken away by whoever is being good enough to look after him.

I am so glad that all my pregnancy niggles seem to have disappeared. No heartburn, no constipation and no thrush. Sympathies to those of you suffering.

I'd recommend Bravissimo for bra measuring, although they only do over a D cup. When I was breastfeeding DS I went in wearing a 36D and they put me in a 34F, which was so much better. But I find them expensive and last time I went I was cheeky enough to get measured then not buy anything and went to Primark instead, now I'm not sure I can return!

I've been wearing normal pants throughout, they are the bikini type, I'll just dig out the old pants from the bottom of the drawer and wear those for the hospital . I'd agree that you don't want them too big as you need the maternity pad to be held in place.

Guernseyfrench - last time I just put the arnica tablets in my hospital bag and started taking it after labour.

IC - exciting about the show!

Mawbroon - glad to hear your ankle is on the mend, good thing the other symptoms are leaving you alone, you've got enough to deal with!

Hello to everyone else!

No interesting news from me, had a Tesco shop delivered today, highlight of my day! I love online grocery shopping, the man carried it all the way to my kitchen table