Due September thread 10 - On the downhill slope...

[Kiwifruit]

Here's the new thread ladies - may it be as chatty as the last 9!!

[Redhelen]

Well I've painted my toe and finger nails - fake tanned my leggs and arms ready for the concert! - I look the bees rather large knees!

Thanks for the advise - going for trousers and top! Glad the weather is cooler! Hope I can stay awake - ds has been up since 5.20am !!!!!!!!!

[LadyLazarus]

RedHelen - very glam! Hope you enjoy yourself!

I have ordered a homeopathy birth kit direct from Helios Pharmacy online (slightly cheaper than Active Birth Centre, but exactly the same kit!) and have been out and bought some aromatherapy oils to use in the labour as well. Hope it helps! Has anyone any experience of using these in their labour + birth, and did they find them helpful?

[mummyhill]

I take back the comment on cloudy it all burnt off and today turned into another scorcher. Really felt large and uncomfyby the time we had been round a local fete with dd and mil.

[KiwiKate]

Talking of early babies, my ds1 was three weeks early. So much for three weeks R&R before the birth. I had two days off (after a very busy time at work) before he arrived.

Unlike you Milward I had nothing organised as I wanted a few days break before getting things ready. I didn't get the break or get organised (Poor DH ran around like a headless chicken saying "what do babies wear?" in the 10 minutes before we left for the hospital - it was all pretty quick).

I've today hauled out ds1's little clothes and washed them. Am determined to be more organised this time - even though officially have 8 weeks to go, but it could be any time now.

[bubbles2904]

morning everyone, my dd was 4 days late so i had 3 weeks of rest and was very prepared. this time i have 6&5days left and not got anything ready yet. i finish work on friday so i'm waiting until then. we have a feeling that this baby is going to be early though.

[mummyhill]

My DD was 7 days late and i was super organised, we have 7/2 to go and are pretty certain that i won't go as long this time round. Am packing my bag and sorting out all the baby stuff this week as dh is off work so i can send him up in the loft!!

[milward]

kiwikate - not normally so organised Hope you & dh managed to laugh about the speedy get ready afterwards.
Had my case packed for the birth but didn't use it as it stayed in the car as dh took dds back home to be looked after by a friend - as we had taken them to the hospital with us. When dh got back dd3 arrived in 10 mins!! My birth helper arrived when dh was taking kids home - I got into the bath but had no towel - she said that we'd use a bed sheet!! I must start to get organised though - good luck with your preparations.

[KiwiKate]

We did have a good laugh Milward. I was stuck on the loo and could just see DH rushing backwards and forwards up and down the passage in a total flap. He's usually the calmest person I know, but at the time I was strangely calm and he was really in a bit of shock . But bless him, he did a good job packing, then stood around a bit confused until I reminded him that the next step was to get into the car and go to the hospital.

Your's sounds like an interesting experience!

Anyone feel that their babies might arrive early (or late)? I had no inkling that ds1 was going to be 3 weeks early. Again with no2, just have no idea, but apparently some women just "know".

[Redhelen]

Hello!


Really enjoyed the concert - and I've had a long sleep as ds at grannys over night!!! I'm hoping baby is early as ds was 42 weeks +2 days and that felt like a life time of waiting! 37/38 weeks would be great - midwife told me if your late once - your always late!!!! keep cool xxx

[bubbles2904]

redhelen, my friend had her ds1 at 42 weeks and had ds2 at 38 weeks so that theory doesn't always work. bit of hope for you there.LOL glad you enjoyed the concert. i went to my sisters for a bbq, was good too but dd was ill so we had to leave at 10. i would usually be the last 1 standing but i'm so physically and mentally drained at the moment and i can't really have a drink. never mind though, 9 weeks at the most then i can have a good drink although after dd i didn't feel like it for ages.
STM glad you're ok, i was getting a little worried about you. milward and kiwikate, they sound like funny experiences. i hope i'll be laughing through my labour. i was in for 9 hours last time, hoping a little shorter this time. how long was everyone else's labour?

[Redhelen]

bubbles2904 - that's interesting to hear that 2nd babies etc can be earlier than first! In reply to your question my first labour was 17 hours ending in emergency c/s - hoping for a 17 minute labour this time and no drugs or intervention!!! I wonder when we will experience our first birth - imagine it will be August - we are probably only 4 weeks from the first!!!!! All a bit too real!!!!!!

[mummyhill]

DH and mum are certain i will not go to term this time round as my bump seems to have droped a little already!!!! Hope this labour is shorter than the 23 hour marathon we had last time. Everything is getting scarily close now.

[KiwiKate]

My first labour was 8 hours from start to finish (with pain only about the last 4 hours). Apparently a second baby often labours much quicker than a first one (my mum's got progressivley quicker, and she even got down to 2hours).

Anyone with more than one babe behind them? Were their subsequent labours quicker?

[moschops]

hello everyone.......

the iron tablets seem to be working and i feel a bit more energetic, still tired but its a 'too hot to sleep, need a wee 5 times a night' kind of tired instead of the total exhaustion i had before.

really starting to crack on with house tidying now, and trying to make myself realise that very soon i will have a baby to look after.........it still hasn't sunk in properly.

went to an outdoor local festival on Saturday and watched some brilliant acoustic bands, felt so good to be in a chilled out atmosphere and relax.............then when we got home a friend called to ask if dp and i were going to the pub to see a band......then said 'but my dp won't be there, its her hen night tonight'.......now i know i'm not upto going out on a hen night but it did upset me that she couldn't even invite me. she is supposed to be my 'best friend' and i've seen her about four times in the last 7 months (and she lives ten minutes round the corner).

so i cried and feel like i'm being irrational about it.....

not going to end on a sad note today though because i always seem to be moaning!!! i feel really good today and am going to go and blitz the house (if i can drag myself away from mumsnet!)

[singleteenagemum]

Hi everyone,

work have given me back access! How foolish they are

Sorry to make everyone just thought i'd mention about the jeans, coz everyone's saying they're big. I do still feel like a beached whale though, was on the beach yesterday and by far the biggest person down there...can't wait to have a gorgeous ds in my arms and fit into all my other clothes, i've missed them!! lol

That's a bit scary saying we'll have our first birth in four weeks. I got my sister's wedding in 5weeks so no doubt my waters'll break as she's walking down the aisle...just my luck.

Can't help Kiwikate but i know my mum's labour was shorter with me (the youngest) than my sisters. We were however both late, they let mum go 23days over her dates and i was 14days late.

[andif]

Had a lovely weekend away at friends in Norfolk - felt like we were on holiday. Proper holiday to Cornwall on Sun for 2 weeks - everyone is making me panic with this talk of hospital bags - I've never done mine before 36 weeks so was going to leave it until after hols. Realistically, 37 weeks should be the earliest babies happen, if earlier then will have to send dh out -it's not as if we live in the middle of nowhere, there's always something open!
As for labour, I am one of the few people whose 2nd labour was longer/worst than 1st - don't assume it will be easier, then you can only be pleasantly surprised!!!! I was also convinced that ds2 would come early, but I think that it was just wishful thinking as that was also a very hot summer - he was due in August and in the end was nearly 2 weeks late. It's very demoralising if they're that late when you have convinced yourself you're going to be early, so I really would aim for 40 wks IYSWIM.
Feeling v low this morning - burst into tears when friend at school asked how I am! Thinking of asking GP for sleeping tablets when I see her on Weds as am beginning to dread bedtime. Been awake since 5am and feel sick and exhausted. Have so much to do before we go away, just don't know where to start!
Sorry to witter on endlessly, can't organise my thoughts...

[KiwiKate]

Andif and Moschops - you are allowed to be weepy! Exhaustion and inconsiderate friends can do that to you.

Try and treat yourself to something special. You deserve it.

[Kiwifruit]

HI All

Back from France, which was bliss - just ruined it by coming back to the office. Still, spent 1/2 an hour catching up with the news on Mumsnet, and am about to leave to go to the midwife. Was planning on coming back to the office, but as there's hardly anyone here, and I spend 20 mins hurling into the bathroom sink this morning (no idea what that was about - maybe I was too smug about no MS in first trimester?? ), don't think I will torture myself with another return trip to the city on a stinking hot tube.

Boompi - sorry to hear about the GD possibilities (I had a full GTT when I was at school, and I remember it wasn't a pleasant experience!) and the breech baby - have you read any stuff about optimal fetal positioning? There's some websites about it that I'll dig out for you in the next couple of days (I posted them on a thread in either Pregnancy or Childbirth, but from memory they may have come from Lady L originally).

STM - size 10 jeans. Pah!!

Right, off to do battle on the tube...

[zubb]

No feeling one way or another about this one being early or late - the midwife has ordered it late as she's away the week I'm due!
Ds1 was 2 days early and just over 2 hours labour, and ds2 was 8 days late and about 90 minutes labour, so this one could be anytime - and hopefully not much quicker.

[mummyhill]

My bump appears to have droped a bit, don't remember this happening till much later with DD. Should I be worrying? Really felt big over the weekend and i am sooooo sleepy. Must make the effort to do some house work this afternoon though as dh got a second pc over the weekend and has networked them in the livingroom which now looks like a bomb has hit it. It would be even better if we could get all the little glitches ironed out of the system, it worked perfectly last night but when we booted it all up this morning so that he could do some stuff for the karate club whilst i did some work for mums and tots everything started to go haywire and i am not feeling particularly technical at the moment.

Mum made me promise to pack my bag this week as she is worrying about me so time for DH to get up in the loft so that i can wash a few little vests etc to go in my bag.

We are going to Barmouth tomorrow for a few days though so it will all have to wait till we come back.

[jessysmummy]

Okay, you've scared me now with talk about early babies. DD was 13 days late and I've just assumed that this one will also be late as I myself am mostly late for everything. Though I'm hoping it will be on time as my parents go on hols a week after EDD. Also hoping for a quicker (though not too quick - Zubb, 2 hours wouldn't even give DH enough time to get home from work!!)labour than the 14 hours I had last time, though I didn't think that was too bad for a first go!.
Just been so busy these last few weeks with DH away a lot with work and we've had no free weekends for ages. Must make a concerted effort to get some things out of the loft and sort through some of DD's old clothes. Still 9+ weeks to go but hey, that could be 5 or 4 or even 3 weeks from some of your stories...PANIC!!!!

[milward]

Dear all- my labours were dd1 7.5 hrs, dd2 cs for footling breech, DD3 1.5hrs & hopefully quick for the 4th. Just think that every labour is different - mine have all been. Am starting to sort of worry what will happen this time though. Just hope for no cs & no intervention. I had an epidural for dd1 which was great & no probs with delivery & for dd3 nothing needed until had a pph(awful). Cs was ok as well - just difficult the first night when I couldn't lift dd.
andif - hope you're ok. Talk to your doc about how you are feeling. Take time to look after yourself as well as getting everything ready xxx

[Katts]

Mummyhill, what does it feel like when you're bump drops? Mine's been feeling really heavy down low for the first time for the last day of so. And had some small, sharp pains low down yesterday as well. Can't see that things look any lower but definitely feel like something's shifted. Don't know if that's normal for 30 weeks - this is my first.

[Redhelen]

andif - don't worry about lack of sleep. Try to reassure yourself that your body will sleep as much as it needs. Getting anxious makes it worse and will probaly worry the baby. I've been struggling to sleep for the last 7 weeks - I now tell myself every night now that it dosn't matter if I sleep as long as I get some rest and relax - and that usually sends me to sleep - although it can take awhile - I try to imagine the little person and all the fun we'll have together in the lead up to falling asleep! Have you tried lavender oil before you try sleeping tablets? - I heard homepathic coffea was also good but can't find if it's ok in pregancy?? Any one know??

[singleteenagemum]

Everyone's been very chatty over lunch typical women i suppose!

Just had a really wierd feeling with bump, he keeps tucking his hands under my ribs (not very comfortable) and then all of sudden a big thing came out of my bump when i was walking to the office. It was an elbow, made my bump look really one-sided, and then there was a knee as well...goodness only knows what i looked, o and then he shifted and is now cuddling my bladder...just as well the loo isn't far, but not getting juch work done. He's been really lively over the last few days, i thought they were meant to 'calm' down abit around nw, due to restricted space....still i;m not that big so maybe hr's stil lgot plenty of room, but by the size of that knee, he's going to be a rugby player.