July 2010: We’re ready to drop; Not long to go until we pop!

[DesperateHousewife21]

Possibly our last ante-natal thread ladies!

I use muslins with dd now as bibs, more coverage! They are also really good for getting glass sparkling! When she was tiny we always had one to had as she was very puky. (goes off to add to baby bag list)

Emsie I was supposed to have a homebirth with DD but ended up with an emergency c section. You should still pack your bag in case....

emsie same as jojobil I tried to have a homebirth but ended up with emcs, definitely pack a bag, you never know!

Checking in here too (whilst watching scary budget).

37 weeks here today - feels like a big milestone to reach! I'm waddling like a fat penguin carrying a bowling ball between her legs, and sitting down is so painful as baby is squashed down on my bits.

violet how exciting that you've got a date for meeting your baby - it's a shame that you won't get the birth you wanted, but it's definitely best to follow the consultant's recommendation for an ELCS if he doesn't have faith in the skills of his colleagues.

emsie my bag is packed apart from toiletries and a towel - I figure it'll give me something to do when labour starts!

memphis sounds like things are going to happen soon for you - we've got to get our first baby soon surely!

Muslins were great with DS - along with cheap absorbent bibs that we had hundreds of! DS had a "blankie" that he insisted on having in his cot to fall asleep - they came in a pack of 6 so luckily I can wash them every couple of days and they don't get too soggy!

memphis yes I have seen it! Several times in fact just for that scene when he's walking down the hall with no top on

Back from shopping now and EVERY sales assistant that served me asked how many weeks left and then were shocked as they all think he's "dropped". I just smile and agree lol.

dh ah i know that scene well and so does my rewind button on dvd player

thanks for everyones advice on muslins maybe i should buy another pack!

well ive been in hospital since late morning, rang midwife who transferred me to hospital, had high protein levels in urine so they rushed me to another dept saying they were sure that i had pre eclampsia with pains ive been getting, headaches and itchy palms but bloods came back normal and bp is always low anyway so knew that wouldnt be high! im ashamed to admit i was kind of hoping it was as i cant imagine having pains like this for another 2 and a half weeks, my mum said she was in agony for last 3 weeks with me i am having tightenings that are showing up on monitors but im not dialating and cervix is totally closed
saw a girl in there who looked absolutly tiny and she was about to get induced! i felt very jealous

Hi everyone
Thank you so much for all of your replies - they've really helped to make me feel much more positive about the ELCS

Jojobil ? thanks for the advice about knickers. They're selling some breathable post c-section pants on the Boots website so think I'll get a pack of them for the first few says.

WWSW ? I had no idea that I could still have a birth plan with a c-section - thank you a million times over for pasting the plan for me. I'm going to produce my own tomorrow. I had spent ages on my birth plan for a natural birth and am happy to share it on here if anyone fancies a read...

Mylifeischaotic ? I had no idea that babies could be in different breech positions either and only just found out that they can be in variations of the three most common breech positions. Every day's a school day for me at the moment!

Wonderstuff & Norkybutnice ? I agree that it is v exciting to know that by next Tuesday night LO will be here.

Beckyg123 ? I won't be able to come to aquanatal on Friday as I have to be super cautious about doing anything strenuous and hyper aware of any fluid leaks. I'll miss seeing everyone but we can both return for a visit in a few weeks with our new babies. Can you ask Caroline (the instructor) for her business card and text me her number please?

Kkfairybrains ? I've never heard of a bad ELCS story either - fingers crossed mine is a positive experience too!

Hope everyone else is doing well today xxx

Thanks for the heads up on the pants on boots.com (whoever that was, can't find it now!) I've just ordered some.

Having had emcs last time my scar is really high up, so I just wore low rise and was fine. Apparently this time they will do a vertical scar and remove most of my previous one (not really sure how that works! [confused} ) but I suspect I will need some comfy pants!

Violet I have heard an elective CS is a much better experience than an emergency one. I'm sure it will all be fine! How was the ECV? Was it really painful? I am quite scared of having to have one. My baby was head down the last time I saw the doctor, at 34 weeks, but now I can feel hiccups in my side rather than deep in my pelvis, so I have a horrible feeling he/she's gone back to transverse.

I'm not planning to pack my bag until I'm on mat leave next week. Most of the bits I need are in the corner of the spare room so I reckon I could chuck one together pretty quickly in an emergency, but I've got lots of washing of baby clothes to do first!

Hey ladies, not posted in a few days and thread moving so quick I?ve not had chance to catch up on all the posts but I hope everyone?s doing ok. Can?t believe we?ve not had a baby yet but sounding promising for a few of you. Good luck to everyone who?s having pains at the moment and awaiting their cs dates.

I?ve been feeling really rough with a nasty bout of sickness and diarrhoea, which in turn made me exhausted and unable to do much apart from lay in bed and feel sorry for myself.

Hospital bag is packed tho as I?m 37 weeks on Friday although I?m not particularly wishing for LO to come early. For one thing I don?t expect to get the keys to my new home until Friday at the earliest so the longer she stays cooking the more time I have to make the place liveable.

Another thing muslins are good for is some cover if breastfeeding in public, my sis in law swears by them to protect her modesty without swamping LO.

Wow I?m so hot and uncomfortable I don?t know how I?m gonna sleep tonight. Hope everyone is not suffering with this heat.

gracie a vertical cut?! I was told last week that they don't do those anymore... I bought huge granny pants from Sainsbury's that did the job (can't find them now so might need some more if I have a cs)

violet - how was the ECV? I really want to try it if this LO doesn't shift!

Emster30 - the ECV itself lasted 7 minutes but I was in the day ward from 11am until 3.30pm because they monitor you closely for at least an hour beforehand, then they scan you, then they do the procedure...then they scan you again and monitor you for another hour. Then they allowed me to eat and brought me the best tuna sandwich and banana I've ever had! I used the time beforehand to so some deep relaxation techniques to relax the uterus. Spent about 2 hours listening to hypnobirthing CD. I also listened to this throughout the procedure. I think that the pain/discomfort level varies quite a bit for a lot of people. I'm glad that I did it because I was so desperate to explore all of my options before I signed up to an ELCS. Hopefully your LO will stay in a head down position and you won't have to have one...but like I said, it doesn't last for long and it's worth doing if there's a chance they'll get baby to turn

EmsieRo - yeah, it's quite a nice feeling to know the date cos I can be more organised about stuff now...

Gracie123 - It was me who noticed the pants on Boots. They get good reviews so have ordered some along with a tube of Arnica cream .

It's crazy Violet knowing, isn't it? Looks like we will be having our little ones on the same day

jojobil yeah - it's the strangest feeling...doesn't quite feeling real...but it does all seem to be happening! Pity we're not at the same hospital - we could have been bed buddies .

You're welcome violet I didn't know either but have incorporated some of it into the "emergency" section of my birth plan. Oh I'd love to have a date for this baby now!! You can chill out and get yourself prepared and this time in a week you'll have your baby in your arms :D

Nothing to report here...period pains and that's about it. Going to have a good soak in a clary sage bath tonight before bed so hopefully will sleep well. My parents have requested that I don't go into labour tomorrow afternoon as they want to watch the football - charming! So we won't mention the pineapple I've been munching all day, the clary sage oil in the bath tonight and the fact I may well molest the husband later too....

Thanks for that violet. I like the idea of listening to a hypnobirthing CD to relax before/during - I have got one that I listened to for the first time the other day. I gather they will stop if it's really painful, and they might offer gas and air as well.

Hopefully the baby will behave him/herself and get back into the right position before my next midwife appointment on Monday!

Hey all, such a busy day on here. Not much to add but marking my place

Gracie-Thats terrible about the painkillers. Im on 60mg codeine but havent been taking any for over a week now as they say it can cause breathing problems in the baby if taken in the final month of pregnancy.

memphis83-Generally muslins are used for sick-sometimes a bib just doesnt cut it! can be used for anything though, used to drape on over the pram hood with ds1 to keep the sun off any exposed bits. He was an vvvv sicky baby though and I always went everywhere with at least 5 muslins!

violet- Midwives are taught how to do breech deliveries, you learn it in your second year which is all about high risk birth. I think the problem lays in the fact that not many people want or are given the option of a natural breech birth so when those midwives qualify they end up having no experience of them.

Wonderstuff-LOL re debit card in freezer, classic!

Nothing much to say here, heat is bloody killing me, am secretly praying for some rain/wind!

ds1 went through the night without a pj pant last night! yay. he wanted to do it so I said fine(not expecting him to be able to) and I woke him at 11pm and made him use the loo, then he went through till 6.15 this morning! hope it continues-Ill be £6 a week better off!! will see how it goes next few weeks and then maybe try ds2 as his pullups are quite dry in the mornings anyway.

Dee I just went to primark and totally ripped u off, also got some pj's, shorts and vest top in size 16-18 just to wear round the house in this boiling hot weather!!
wonder LOL at the debit card in the freezer, best place for mine at the moment!! Ur bag list looks very straight forward and sensible i might print it off.
Im very tired today, the pains i mentioned yesterday have subsided which im glad about.
I went to relaxation class today, it was all about contractions and how to deal with them and what is actually happening to ur cervix, it was very good, very informative, just wish my DH had come as there was a lot he would have learned that might help in the first stage.
I borowed a moses basket from my brother and I really didnt want to use it, its fine but worn and as this may be our only baby i wanted a new one. We have discovered a baby shop on a trading estate literally down the road from us, weird that we didnt know it was there and one of the only moses baskets they had in stock was one with a little boat on it which goes with my sea side theme brilliantly.....must be fate!! so i went and brought it!! naughty but i dont care any more!!
Right im off to curl up with my giant cumberland of a cushion, sooo comfy!!
Night ladies!! hope u all have a good nights sleep! xx

Evening all, i had wrote a post earlier but lost the bloody thing.

kk house is looking great, friend is coming to build cotbed and drawers for lo so i can get sorted

gracie thats is shocking bout painkillers. I was advised to stop anti-depressants 2wks before lo arrives which scared me but as my gp says i'll be all over the place between now and then anyway and this way lo doesnt have withdrawl.

Poor you memphis hope pain either eases up or comes to something. A girl i know went through the same as your mum but they wanted her lo to stay longer as baby was prem.

Thanks for the birth plan info for elcs wwsw i didnt know you could have one either

gracie why they doing a vertical scar this time?

violet thanks for the info bout section pants, glad your a bit more relaxed bout it

I lost another bit of mucus plug today pity it doesnt mean anything. Also anyone have any suggestions as to whats in your hospital bag for a c-s? Hoping for a better sleep tonight, im at the hospital early tomorrow morning. Whats everyone else doing? X

i've hospital in the morn too stac. couple of little bits to be done in my house too but the majority is done but gonna get it done this week hopefully.
memphis you poor thing.i really thought things were starting by the sound of things.hopefuly you dont follow in your mums footsteps and its all over for you soon.
wwsw how inconsiderate of you to try and get things moving when theres an important match on ! lol!
well my mum just phoned there and looks like they've all been organising a baby shower behind my back! for this sat night! it was gonna be a surprise but my mum was saying it to my friend yesterday and she said she thinks they should tell me because i may not appreciate a houseful of people landing unnanounced! glad they did tell me cos i'd prefer to know as they all live an hours drive from me so will probably stay.looking forward to it though!

Oh kk that sounds fab!

I'm a bad daughter really, and as much as I love football I really love being able to move about easily and not getting so emotional about everything even more! I don't expect anything to work but it gives me something to think about