September 2010 - the end is in sight (even if our feet are not!)

[comixminx]

Time for a new thread to take us into the final leg of the journey!

Here's the latest version of the list that I could find - do update with your info as necessary! PickleSarnie, I've added you. Sassie, I can't spot you in the list unless you've maybe namechanged?

Jaysfourth #4 EDD 24/08/10 Nottingham, GIRL
Inzidoodle #2 EDD 26/08/10 Scotland, BOY
MerryMagpie #1 EDD 28/08/10
comixminx #1 EDD 28/08/10 Oxford SURPRISE
Foxyjbro99 #3 EDD 29/08/10 Shropshire
lilypad72 #1 EDD 30/8/10
mcfee #2 EDD 31/08/10
cinnnamongreyhound #2 EDD 31/08/10 Suffolk BOY
BooStar #1 EDD 01/09/10 New Forest
sazziej #1 EDD 01/09/10 West Lancs, GIRL
SkaterGrrrrl #1 EDD 01/09/10 London SURPRISE
Stickhasgrownup #3 EDD 02/09/10 SE London SURPRISE
NovemberAli #1 EDD 02/09/10 Nottingham
lillyfc #4 EDD 02/09/10 East Sussex
Babyshoes #2 EDD 02/09/10
ChocolateCalculator #2 02/09/10
swordfishtrombones #3 EDD 02/09/10 SE London
bananastew #2 EDD 02/09/10
flippertygibbet # EDD 03/09/10
IlariaS #1 EDD 03/09/10
jbakedbean #2 EDD 04/09/10
patito #2 EDD 04/09/10
Cakeandfinewine #2 EDD 05/09/10 Staffordshire GIRL
Mellousol #1 EDD 05/09/10
Monstermuncher #2 EDD 05/09/10 Glasgow
ciacia #2 EDD 05/09/10
Eleanora #1 EDD 06/09/10
Debs75 #4 EDD 06/09/2010
monkeymiss #2 07/09/10
EmmaLM #1 EDD 07/09/10
Heather1980 #3 EDD 07/09/10 Manchester
Eggonlegs #2 EDD 08/09/10
Catbus #4 EDD 09/09/10
TTTrouble #2 EDD 10/09/10
Surreygirl #2 EDD 10/09/10
LB1981 #1 EDD 14/09/10 NE London, Girl
Susiey #3 EDD 12/09/10 N.London
weirdbird #3 EDD 12/09/10 BOY
upsoearly #2 EDD 13/09/10
AMMG #1 EDD 14/09/10
Cityangel #2 EDD 15/09/10 London
Love2Dance #2 EDD 15/09/10 London, SURPRISE
Bonners #1 EDD 15/09/10 Scotland
MadameG #1 EDD 16/09/10 London
CathN #1 EDD 16/09/10 London
MudandRoses #2 16/09/10 Brighton Boy
ArcticFox #1 EDD 16/09/10
HellysBelles #1 EDD 16/9/10 SW London
Bloominnorah #2 EDD 17/09/10 Scotland
WhiteRoses #1 EDD 17/09/10
cazza41 #1 EDD 17/09/10
Mellymooks #2 EDD 17/09/10 BOY
Willthecatbejealous #1 EDD 17/09/10 Leeds
Lifeas3plus1 #2 EDD 17/09/10
princerhysmum #1 EDD 17/09/10
aswellasyou #1 EDD 18/09/10 Birmingham GIRL
LadyRabbit #1 EDD 18/09/10 
LucyLG #1 EDD 18/09/10 Staffs
VoilaAnotherGimlet #1 EDD 19/9/10 London
Scooby16 #1 EDD 19/09/10
lenga01 #2 EDD 20/09/10
Whammie76 #2 EDD 20/09/10 Scotland
PickleSarnie #1 EDD 20/09/10
Irishgal1 #1 EDD tbc
MammyG #3 EDD 21/09/10 Ireland
Nandos #2 and #3 EDD 22/9/10 London
caprica6 #1 EDD 22/9/10 Hampshire
DreamingAboutSleep #2 EDD 22/09/10 Herts
Muswellmummy #1 EDD 22/09/10
coppertop #4 EDD 23/9/10
ooosabeauta #2 EDD 23/9/10 GIRL
JodeyLea #1 EDD 24/9/10 Birmingham
Saoirse86 #1 EDD 24/09/10 Birmingham GIRL
Bessie123 #2 EDD 25/09/10 London BOY
StrictlyTory #2 EDD 25/09/10 SUPRISE
Sunface #3 EDD 25/09/10
Kittyonthebeam #2 EDD 25/09/10 Dubai BOY
Bellabelly #3 & #4 EDD 26/09/10 Kent 2 GIRLS
Ohfuck EDD 26/09/10
RunningGuerita #1 EDD 26/09/10
Dixiebell #1 EDD 26/09/10 BOY
Zowina #1 EDD 27/09/10
Watersprite #2 EDD 27/09/10
legallyblond #1 EDD 29/09/10
velvetjess #1 EDD 29/09/10 London, SURPRISE
MummyFifi #1 EDD 30/09/10 GIRL

comixminx thanks! i will look into it! although we normaly dont qualify for those sort of things...just not quite poor enough!!
awhh such lovely sibling belly story's!

Skye, this is where I saw the info - but it may not be suitable for you. Vouchers though, that might help? Or there's trainee doulas, they can only charge £200 apparently.

Having said that, one point that my doula made is that someone like your mum or sister or a close friend could do pretty much a doula's job. What she explained was that the doula helps to shield you and your DP/DH from possibly unnecessary interactions - so you can concentrate on labour, and your DP can concentrate on you. She is not necessarily medically trained and will not give medical advice, but will help you to ask whether such and such a process is necessary according to routine, or whether it's medically necessary. So this is all stuff that someone who is not a trained doula could also do - though having said that, I'm still glad that I'll be having someone around who has experienced a few different births, unlike me & DP!

33 + 1

thanks!
i think would KILL my mother in this situation...she is the kind of woman thats ALWAYS had it worse than you!
and mil is SUCH a worrier.id end up looking after her!
my sisters live on the other side of the world! my best freind would be AMAZING,but she has two young dc's of her own and lives about 3hrs away(neither of us drive ) i did think about asking her to come,but im not sure i could handle all the extra pepole in the house i.e her her dp and dc's!
ahh well,my dp is great and we were fine last time so im sure i will be again!

funnily enough thats who i was looking to train with!

Hi all

Have been catching up and everyones seems much more programmed into the birth now.

I have also kind of got a doula for free, shes´´s my clinic MW who basically loves her job and really wants to help woman birth as naturally as posssible. She will attend my home birth as extra help, and if for any reason can´´t have home birth will attend me at home up until last minute. We get on well, and she comes round to the house to do relaxation exercises with us.

DS1 is 2.2 and I plan to have him at the birth (hours permitting), have heard loads of positive stories about babies at births.

As there´s been loads of talk about hospital bags thought Id add in what my last homebirth MW advised me to get ready home:

1. big plastic box (to hold everything) I didn´t do this last time as was convinced Id give birth in bedroom (didn´t!) and poor DP was running between bedroom and lounge carrying things)
2. large blanket/beach towel
3. gym ball
4. lots of hand towels (10)
5. 2 condoms filled with water tied at top and stored in freezer to help with swollen "bits" after birth.
6. Ice cubes/small lollies to suck on during labour.
7. A large plastic bowl, (I used washing up bowl) for placenta.
8. low light lamp and electric heater (she recommended having heat at around 30º for baby)
9. White clay, to be mixed with water and spread on sanitry towel to help healing of any tear. Also to be sprinkled on bellybutton to help dry it out and cord fall away.
10. Tena lady super, incontinance knickers for first night
11. Natural cotton maternity pads
12. Incontinance plastic sheet for bed.

Here is beautiful homebirth slideshow done by professional photograher. Enjoy !

Hope you all had good weekends... I want it to rain, my lawn is yellow! My chillis and peppers are doing well though.

Have semi packed my hospital bag, it has a big list on top of what is missing

33 weeks!

wow patito

I haven't considered even half the things you've listed there... especially the condoms!

I am however prepared for the towel situation - will be rampaging round Primark in the week to sort that one out

I have incontinance pads for the bed - will those do?! they're quite big, a good 50cm square easily.

I had a home birth last time and didn't have things patito mentioned... but had other bits not on list! I guess we're all different.
Just to add I had plastic sheeting (dust sheets) from diy store. Think homebase did nice cheap ones last time.
I spread these out over my carpet so I could have an active birth without worrying where I was.
I went into shock a bit after as all happened very quickly. I needed a duvet wrapped around the top of me while the MW gave me stiches... hadn't prepared for this but luckily it did't get dirty. But you may want an old blanket/duvet cover.
As for mess/placenta... midwife dealt with it all. No idea what she used but they have to take all the bits away anyhow.
Don't forget biscuits for midwifes incase it drags a bit!
MW also provided pads for the bed for the first night or so. Best to ask whats in the kit they provide and what they think you need.

Didn't mean to press post yet!
You can't have a homebirth before 37 weeks... so still plenty of time to organise bits.

I'm so so so relieved that today has been a bit cooler... the weekend was hell! Thankfully temps of up to 24 are set to stick around this week, so I may even manage to get things done! Rather than melt!

DD been ill for about a week, just got her back to nursery today and now DS is off school!

Very jelous of those with doulas... mind you I had 2 mw's and a final year student for my homebirth last time, so can't complain attention wise!
Getting worried I'll end up having to have a CS. So far my labours have been reletively quick and easy so really dread the possiblity.

32 +4

oh dear Stick, poor you x hope they all feel better soon

I lost track of how many mws and drs were around with DS! This time, I'll just take the 3 thank you very much! mw, doula and dh

30 + 2

You are all so brave having home births! I have been so tempted this time, because my BMI was 35 at booking I am under consultant led care, have had GTT and extra scans and have been told that they will want to put a canular in as soon as I get to hospital as veins are hard to find on obese women. THe consultant assured me that my labour will be as natural as I want it to be but I can't help feel that once labelled as high risk they will be more inclined to intervene. I lost 5Kg after my booking appointment and haven't put anything on at all so far but no-one seems interested in weighing me again despite it being a problem.

I didn't have the birth I wanted with DS as I was induced and had a lot of monitoring and am determined that this time will be different but am worried I won't have the fight in me as I didn't with DS, although DH says he will be more on my side this time!

I just feel I'm too far from hospital to have a home birth, although it was offered. Other than weight have had a good pregnancy and am healthy. Assuming my baby moves to head down of course, which I feel he may have already but I am no expert!

Pfft, I don't know about brave!

I just hate my local hospital enough that I'm a million percent positive I don't want to birth there!

ummm, defenatly takes gut's to go to a hospital imho...then again takes gut's to have a baby anywhere! we are all very brave i think!

Having had DD at home... the hospital seems a far scarier prospect this time around!!!

stick

I apologise if you've answered this elsewhere, but why aren't you having a home birth this time?

Skye I agree, we are all very brave!!!

I would like a home birth but would be too scared! Ds ended up ventouse as he was getting into difficulty & then I had a retained placenta so would have ended up in hospital anyway! I just don't think I could do with the added stress of being rushed into hospital if that happened again!
Having said that my birth experience was fantastic. The Midwife was brilliant as were all the staff. It was the ward after that were rubbish so I'll be going home asap after the birth!

I'm really starting to struggle now! moving is an effort, sleeping is pretty impossible & ds is continuing to be awkward! Oh well, not long now!!!!!!

Patito that is an AMAZING homebirth slide show. Just watched it with DP and cried!!

I would have loved a homebirth. But after last time's muck-up, it's a VBAC for me (if I'm lucky) and another c-section if I'm not...you just never know. The term 'birth plan' is a complete oxymoron.

park
I really hope so... but pebble is currently breech so I just don't know!
Plenty of time still to turn but hasn't as yet... neither of my other 2 were ever breech so no experience.
Had to go to hospital the other day to do a sample and I was shown to the loo in a birthing room and I sat there thinking nooooo!
Must be positive... pebble will turn and I will have a homebirth!

Oh I hope pebble turns too! I'll stay positive with you too

Hi all,

Just got back from the mw appt, and s'all good

She didn't tell me off for being so late seeing her, and Fidget is fine (I could have told her that!) although s/he didn't want to provide a heartbeat! Mw found it though

Fidge is lying on my right side, head down, but on its side too, so no wonder I'm getting their bum stuck under my ribcage!

Mw will be visiting me at home in 3 weeks to discuss home birth, and she's very happy about the doula too, so getting quietly excited now!

6 weeks today......eeeek best get a shifty on!!!

waves

waves back

Totally unrelated to pregnancy or anything really to do with this thread but I am excited so I wanted to share! My DS who is 3 and a bit has finally started calling me 'Mummy'!!!! He talks a lot but pronounciation is not great and has always called me 'Duddy', it's such a lovely thing to hear and everytime he says Mummy it just makes me smile

awhh, thats lovely cinnamon for the longest time my daughter would get us mixed up...she just didnt seem to get the difference between mummy and daddy!

ive been pram shopping and to ikea today...god im knackerd! that place is so huge!!!!
i think im moving to purely internet shopping from now on!
glad all's well with fidget and that she didnt shout at you park!!!

Aw, I wasn't expecting a bawling (I think the other mw would have though, she's a bit too brusque for my liking)

Nah, mw was really relaxed and she's gonna come see me at home next time, so no excuses now!

Oh bless cinnamon that's so sweet!

At 3, DS kept calling me Debbie (my childminder!) and kept calling Debbie Mum, for a good few months. And he used to have real trouble with his Cs too... we used to have a cat, and whenever I put her food down, he'd run through the house yelling "Aaat, nuuuum!" (num num was our "code" for food) He was only 2 though