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

Funny, I'm hoping not to have these concerns with this one, as I had all this with DS. I was totally removed through the pg, and the birth, hated feeding him, at one point, hated him too (PND thank goodness).

Now, I love him to bits, and would happily kill for him. I'm so hoping that I don't feel like that for DC2. But even if I do, I know how to cope with it, and that it'll pass, and I'll love each one their own way.

I am a little worried about DS getting jealous of DC2, as it's just been him for 7 years, but I've said to everyone not to forget him, or leave him out.

lol parkj83

I spoke to her on the phone about half hour ago! She is 5cm dialated and is just on gas and air at the mo. She sounded seriously drunk! Very slury! She kept saying "jode, you're gona be fine, you can do this" I was like, I think it's meant to be me telling you this! Bless her. Started sobbing when I put the phone down!

@ Love2Dance's kitten.

Speaking of tears can I advise you all NOT to watch the Time Traveller's Wife while pregnant. I sobbed like a little girl, with snot and everything.#

melly I am sure you will bond with the baby just fine, if you're already a mum you're probably not as self absorbed in the pregnancy as first timers like me!

What everyone planning to wear in labour? I'm going with an enormous black cotton vest (long enough to preserve a modicum of modesty in between internal examinations, vest top as it will be sweltering, black so as not to show the gore - don't want my nice nighties to look like the Battle of Hastings!)

34 + 3

I might go out and buy a big baggy dark top actually as I too don't want to wreck my new nursing nightie. Or might buy a cheap vesty nightie possibly! What have people wore in the past?

30+5

Oh bless jodey

As for what to wear, probably nowt! lol

with planning a home birth + bath involvement, I'm honestly not too worried about what I'm wearing.

Last time, I did take an old nightie too, but ended up in a hospital gown as I lost lots of blood and it had to be thrown out.

I do have a very raggy old nightie I can grab if I have to go in to hospital, but on the whole, haven't put too much thought into it

I'm more, er, worried/apprehensive/dubious about time... I'm hoping to keep this one as natural as possible, and I'm wondering, would you prefer to birth during the day, or during the night?

I was induced at lunch-time with DS, but he was actually born at 3.24 in the morning, so I was absolutely knackered and not fit to do anything for ages after.

Part of me would prefer a day birth, but part of me would prefer night!

Laying on the bed in pain. Feels like ligament pain, so i must be stretching again. Groan.
I have had all the same feelings. I've been on my own with DD for the majority of her life-10 years. (cos dp is away all the time, only saw him for 5 months in 18months once) Can't believe i can love these babies as much as i love her, and honestly believe i won't to begin with.
Read a thread on here a few months ago about it and one mum said you love them straight away but it takes time to love them as deep as the child you have known for years. But it does happen. Another said that your love is like an elastic band that stretches for each child, ie, it's limitless.
I found both of these explanations helpful, cos it was actually upsetting me to think that my child now won't be the number 1 person in my life (must still be upsetting me, cos i've just started crying....damn these hormones) It sometimes feels like i'm replacing her, well maybe not replacing her but shunting her from number 1 position and that really upsets me.
She did ask me would she still be her favourie girl in he whole world, (cos that's what i've always told her) but obviously i couldn't say yes in case there is another girl in here. Had to say that mummies don't have favourites but she'll always be my special first born and she'll have something that the others won't have and that's 10 years on their own with me. (God i've got snot now and everything, think writing this has opened a can of worms)

thank you for that sassy I've been psyching myself up for the inevitable time when DS starts on this thread.

I still call him baby and stuff like that, and I have to stop and think about this now, as he won't be my baby anymore.

Looks like an emotioanl day all round!!! Really feel for you Sassy. I think the comments you have read hit the nail on the head! It will be strange at first but I'm sure your DD will love having some new sibling to look after and fuss over. It will probably bring you both even closer (if that's even possible). I think your first born will always be the most special as it was your first experience of bringing another life into this world and becoming a parent. You will always have your "first" experiences with your DD. First feelings when your pregnant, first words, first steps, first school, first to pass GCSE's, first to go to Uni, first to have a boyf, first to get married, first one to give you grandchildren. Its a whole load of first experience for you. It doesn't mean you will love the second/third/fourth and so on any less. Hope you feel better soon x x x x

sob,sob

you guys have hit the nail on the head...it was my dd's 2nd birthday today,all day i've been feeling like im letting her down or replacing her by having another baby so soon, and i really cant belive i'll love this one as much as i love her...
and now i feel even worse as i've just realized i didnt make her a cake...witch was the ONLY thing she asked for for her birthday...oh god im terrible!

off to bake cakes

i dont know why those are links...
im failing as a human today

Skater When I was in labour at the hospital you're going to they put me in a hospital gown - I think I wore maternity clothes briefly but changed out of them when they gave me an epidural (which they persuaded me to have - in hindsight, it was too early). I have been thinking about the birth I had there and if you're interested, my top tip would be to remember that you can question everything and to INSIST they listen to you. I found that the midwife I had didn't really listen to what I wanted and she assumed my birth plan was (to me) unchangeable so she wasn't at all flexible with how things proceeded. I would have preferred her talking through the pros and cons with me as the situation moved away from the natural birth I had planned, and treating me like an adult, instead of a patient who needed decisions making for her, for her own good.

I don't know if that's helpful but I really wish someone had told me that before I had the baby.

You've set me off too! Ds is 2 on the 16th Aug. I know I'll love this baby as much as ds, people have told me I will but I'm terrified that he'll resent me for having another baby. I've tried to stop calling him my best boy etc as I know this ones a boy too. Instead he's now my special big boy and the baby is HIS baby brother, not mummys baby! He's become really clingy the last couple of weeks and tonight at my Mums we were feeling the baby kicking & he climbed up on my knee saying "my mummy"!!

In a way i'm grateful that mine is alot older. She is totally estatic about having siblings. She hasn't shown any feelings of resentment or jealousy at all. * So i don't envy you all who have younger children, can imagine it might be hard. But on the other hand i wish i had done it earlier cos she has cried alot over the years about not wanting to be an only child. You can't win really!

* When i found out i was pregnant, i sat her down and said, 'You you like a brother or a sister?' Her little face frowned for a brief second until it dawned on her what i meant and then she started crying. She then said 'but i'm happy'. Bless. She'd never experienced crying with happiness before and didn't understand it.

Would

awhhhh! how sweet!

Oh no bananastew you've set me off now - was just managing to contain myself although moved by everyone's feelings about this, but my ds is 2 on 22nd August and I can just imagine him saying that Got tears rolling but I am quite tired and should have gone to bed by now.

Mellymooks I feel quite the same about not being totally engaged with this baby yet, or not excited in the way I think I was with ds. A friend said to me that one of her friends who'd been through mcs, as I had between ds and this pregnancy, felt the same all the way through her pg as a kind of self-preservation, but it all changed as soon as the baby was born. I'm hoping that'll be the same for me. The only way I'm really coping with the worries of this new baby stopping ds being my number one is by thinking of it/her as a present to him. I think it'll be great for him to have a sibling through his life, and (obviously) this is the only way to do it.

Thank you park and cinnamon re. the fingers advice. Will have a go and see if that helps!

Night all x

Don't worry ladies you are all feeling normal worries, When I had dc2 I felt apprehensive about pushing dc1 out but you just love them and everything fits in neatly. Where once you just had one little one to love an extra one is there and there is just as much love for them. It is the same the more you have, you just find this extra love to go around.
With dc3 it was a bit different as she is 9 years younger so I had my favourite girl and boy and my favourite baby. I can't pick between them of course and they are all wonderful. She also helped me to see dc2 as a grown up boy not my 'baby' anymore. He has special needs and is still very toddler like, having a newborn to look after made me see that he is infact not a baby anymore.
With this one dc3 will only be 23 months, plus we thought she was our last so we spoilt her a bit.

I'm getting really bad cramp, it's waking me up at least once a night now. And I have a bad cold so I feel totally drained, I just want to sleep but we have so much to do before the holidays begin.

Hoorey! Pebble has turned and is now head down Although MW wasn't that reassuring and said theres still time for pebble to turn breech again... why did she say that! Apparently as I'm on No.3 I'm all streched and theres loads of room in there so its more likely they are breech at one time or other.
So all is well and i'm back on track for my homebirth. See MW again in 2 weeks.
Went to Bluewater after as M&S sale on... very disappointing! Serious lack of neutral baby clothes... but did manage to get myself a handbag so I'm happy!
Off to try Antenatal Aqua Aerobics tonight... wish me luck . May take my gaviscon pool side!

Skater - I watched the time travellers wife when I was about 25 weeks... oh my god... dh was laughing at the state I was in! And I've seen it before so knew what was going to happen! Never cried so much!

Re bonding - I'd say its only within the last few weeks that I've started to feel a bit excited about the baby. Before then I was really a bit like I don't even know why I'm preg! I think buying some baby clothes has helped!!!!

34

stick thats great! i was my mums 4dc and i was transverse till a week before i was born! good luck with the aquanatal!!

yay stick! fingers x-ed pebble stays that way

Hi all

DS is 2.2 and also feel very sad about him not being the only one anymore. He´s trying to latch on almost daily now, I tell him that the new baby is very small and we need to save milk for them, but not looking forward to BFing around him which makes me as I loved BFing him and want this time round to be as special but feel this will taint it.

Had last scan on Friday everything is fine, head down, measurements all well. But I´m a bit pee´d off as apparently the scan wasn´t needed and last sonographer told me the baby might be at risk of low birth when there´s been no indication of this at all!! . I´ve had quite a compact bump (till recently), so have been worried, and all for nothing!

MW who will be attending homebirth came for first visit today. Seems really nice, she stayed for a couple of hours just discussing how Im planning the birth, her role, what I wanted etc. She´ll be back in a couple of weeks for another home visit with the clinic MW.

Oh, and I think DS1 has chickenpox , he started with high fever yesterday and has come out with a rash today, hes been quite chirpy and playing though which is good. Thankfully I had it as a child, but does mean we´ll be housebound for the next few days .

"my top tip would be to remember that you can question everything and to INSIST they listen to you. I found that the midwife I had didn't really listen to what I wanted and she assumed my birth plan was (to me) unchangeable so she wasn't at all flexible with how things proceeded. I would have preferred her talking through the pros and cons with me as the situation moved away from the natural birth I had planned, and treating me like an adult, instead of a patient who needed decisions making for her, for her own good."

Bessie this is top advice. Our NCT group leader keeps emphasising that we should ask questions, stand up for ourselves and be assertive. She keeps saying "Whose body is it? Whose baby is it?" Unless the baby is in danger there is always time to have a conversation and get more info or a second opinion. She says women often say they wish they had spoken up in birth - very few regret speaking up! She also says the difference between a good birth and a bad birth is often linked to how passive or active you feel and whether you feel you have autonomy or whether things are just done 'to' you.

I am really really lucky in that my parents are paying for me to go private so I am getting to know my consultant and he will deliver the baby on the day. I am starting to build up trust with him and we are discussing the kind of birth I'd like at my antenatal appointments. But Im relying on SkaterBoy to stand up for me if need be!

Me too Stickhasgrownup! I wasn't planning a home birth but if baby stayed transverse they wanted me to go in before my due date and stay until I went into labour

Had another emotional day due to trying to finish my EYPS course and being let down by everyone I have to rely on. They encourage childminders to apply but because there is so much emphasis on leadership you have to find other professionals to lead and I have realised that most people don't really mean what they say when it comes to this. I wanted to get as much done as I could before the baby came and it's just problem after problem, I'm thinking of deferring but DH thinks I should wait until I'm less emotional

Otherwise all good with baby and DS is all better now too

cinnamon Up until last year i taught BTEC National Diploma in Early Years. Don't know if i can help, but you can always ask.

Glad to hear DS is better.

That's very kind but unless you are working with babies or toddlers and can carry out my activities with them having been shown by me first then you can't help I'm afraid. I just don't understand why people offer help and then retract it, it's not that much work for them and at the end of the day it's a nationally recognised qualification which has got to look good at any ofsted inspection even they don't care if they are improving their setting for the children they care for. Oh dear that turned into a bit of a rant!