Due SEPTEMBER thread 12 - the big countdown ...

[franch]

Here we go

Good luck K7! I keep expecting another arrival every time I check in now ... Half wish it was me but keep reminding myself that the later the baby comes, the more I'll get done in the way of preparations etc ...

Got the pool last night, but it's still in bits - hopefully DH will assemble it tonight. He visited his brother and SIL yesterday evening and met our new niece in the SCBU - brought back some digital photos which are very sweet. She looks very healthy, esp considering she's premature. SIL is not well but recovering - it was a long time before she got to meet the baby herself, which must have been hard. She already has 4 boys so was hoping for her 2nd girl, so that's an extra bonus.

pooka - luckily 2 of DH's brothers are Muslims so Christmas isn't as bad as it could be - MIL has recently gone down the same road which has allowed her to opt out altogether

Hi HelenEmJay - do join our stats thread

Have been active and now the spare bedroom is more ready for having a little baby in it . Also my bag is packed (mostly), DD/DS2's bag is packed and DS's bag is packed (mainly).

Need to think what else I should be putting in to all/any of them and not put the wrong things in the wrong places - not sure DS would appreciate breast pads for instance. Or newborn nappies .

So wet. It is OK as I am inside but I wouldn't mind a bit more sunshine. It is August (although the pattern of weather here seems to be wet, sunny, wet at the moment).

Good Luck K7 - have to say it sounds just like me with ds2 - the tens machine kept the contractions going at a fairly low level when I think they would have stopped, so labour went on for ages - maybe you should try taking it off for a bit to get some rest or you could end up exhausted by the time it really hurts.
Kiwikate - would love a waterbirth, but as strep B positive they won't let me in the midwife led unit where the pool is!!

Kiwifruit - would you like to hire my 2 boys -they require more entertainment the more tired you feel - could be just what you need to help you appreciate your maternity leave more!!

Good luck k7

Had my physio appointment today - back has loosened from preg. Said I was hoping to avoid a back labour - but as I've had this before it could be likely even if little one isn't back to back.

Andif - ummmm, think I'll take a raincheck on that, but thanks for the offer !!

K7 - good luck!!

Got my private strep B test results today, and thankfully they're negative...

Right, am off to do the labour ward tour at the hospital, although have to say, the thought of going out into the grotty weather is not at all appealing!

K7 - I had the same long build-up when having dd. It's horrible isn't it? good luck.
Franch - sensible MIL

K7 - here's hoping things move along quickly for you. The race is really on for baby number 2! Hope all is well with the people who haven't posted here for a while, Boompi, STM (although aware she is camping )...

Me + hubby have had a day of nesting! Nothing majorly baby-related, just sorting out shelves in the lounge, chucking out old stuff and having a bit of a sort-out generally. Feel shattered now. My Dad's staying with us for a couple of days, he just rang from town + I think he was a bit upset I couldn't be bothered to go into town in the rain and meet him!

KF - good news on your test results. It took me a couple of weeks to get into the swing of not going to work and just 'pottering' at home, but after 3 months of it I'm a bit of a pro now! P.S. Don't take all of the good books out of Maida Vale library before I get to them!!

Hello - any babies arrived??

Picked up the tens machine, and got the cx powder for umbilical cord - have matress protector on bed - so bring it on!!!

strep B test - is this something the nhs do - or something that needs doing privately??

This whole pregnancy thing is really peverse sometimes. Struggle to fall asleep, only to wake up several times for the loo. If it wasn't so gross, I'd seriously invest in a potty for myself. The trip to the loo wakes me up, and then I'm back on the "struggle to fall asleep" (it's 5am in NZ right now btw).

TOld DH that baby might as well come now, as I'm not getting any sleep now anyway.

Discovered a lovely play group for DS. They have a special barricaded corner for little babies (where the toddlers can't get at them), so I'll be able to keep taking him once DS2/DD is born (only 2 mornings a week, so should hopefully be able to manage that).

DS (2.4yo) is convinced that I'm having "only 2" babies! Will not accept that there is only one in here, and says he wants ONLY TWO! (He's out of luck, as this is definately our last).

Moschops - That's so sweet that you missed Lemmy when you went to the shops for ten minutes. I bet you'd never have believed that would be true had someone told you a month ago.

Zoezebra - You fell asleep in the water? Wow!

Good luck K7

PC ~ I must cover our matress tonight - I keep forgetting.

I sent DH shopping today. It looks like we have enough basic food (barring veg and meat) to keep us going for a month! Woohoo! I'm ready now baby - you can come anytime you like.

Well, not tomorrow or Friday as DH is taking DD to visit his brother in Brighton. It's about an hour away from where we live. It will be great to have the house to myself for two days but the purpose of him leaving me in peace is to get a last rush of studying done (I'm doing a Distance Learning Masters)before the baby comes.

Selfishly I hope the rain lasts as that makes for the best studying weather. Then please let's have sun on Saturday as my family are having a BBQ then.

I want sun tomorrow as my dm is taking dd to London to St James's Park to see the soldiers, the giant sandpit and for a picnic. I'm going for coffee with friends and then I'm going to read and sleep for the rest of the day. Hurrah.
Kiwikate - I'm with you on the potty front. Actually found myself pondering why champber pots are out of fashion last night .
Moschops - I remember my first trip to sainsburys without dd. Kept feeling like telling people "I'm a mother, I have a dd at home" because I had become rather used to the attention when going out with tiny dd and was missing her and the clucking of others.
I'm all ready really, bar the pethidine as there's been a mix up with the doses and the chemist needs to talk to my GP to get an amended prescription. Of course, I'm hoping not to need to use it as want to try and get as far on with TENS and gas and air as possible, by which time (hopefully) it'll be too late. However - I like the idea of having it there "just in case". And given that I was in quite uncomfortable pre-labour for about 72 hours before established labour kicked in, who knows what'll happen this time.
Hope you're managing to get some rest K7.

hi everyone, just checking in to see that everyone is ok. had a mw appt this afternoon, all is well, the head is 3/5 down so not much further to go down now, saw a different mw AGAIN, think that makes it 6 now, really have lost count. have bought some raspberry leaf tea today and have been eating pineapple all day, really want this baby out now as i've really had enough.can't stand curry and the thought of sex is putting both myself and dp off. saying that, it doesn't help that my mum has told me to get dp and let him do me from behind(sorry if tmi, they were her exact words lol). god, my mum is sick, and i'm disturbed for life now hahaha.

Good grief you have all been busy chatting today, have been relegated to lurking till now as have had a house full of people.

bubbles - not what you expect off your mum is it but may be worth considering as it is supposed to be a good way to start everything off!!!!!

Popped into work today to buy some bread and other essentials and ended up being there for over an hour cause every other person asked me haven't you had it yet you look ready to pop. Thanks all make me feel better, 13 days to go and I have had enough please arrive soon baby.

Mother knows best, Bubbles

Moschops - happy that all is going well. When my dd1 was born I went out to the cinema a few weeks afterwards with my mother babysitting. I couldn't wait for the film to finish and got through the crowds to get out in double quick time. I kept thinking - why wont these people move out of the way I've got a baby at home!!!

andif - hope you're ok after having to go for a checkup at your hospital.
Pain relief is on my mind as well. Only option for me is an epidural which I hope to avoid and I'll have my physio with me to help me get into good positions plus to push on my back. Last time she did this & it was wonderful. My doc thinks my ds4 will arrive early and I packed my birth bag today. Tomorrow I'll pack my hospital stay bag.

Just to say best wishes to all xxx

13 days to go mummyhill! - hope you're feeling ok as well. I'm due on the 24/25th so have 4 weeks to go....

Well, I thought it was all go this morning. Had bleeding (so tastefully called a "bloody show"). Luckily we had put the matress protector on, or else it would have been on the matress too (sorry if tmi).

But nothing else happening other than a few period-like cramps.

Mw says it could happen any time but warned that one of her "ladies" had a show 6 weeks before the birth! But that is unusual apparently, and a show usually means the labour will begin shortly (in hours or days rather than weeks).

Am off to get some rest now, as I don't want to be exhausted before it all starts (as I was with ds).

We have an antenatal refresher course on Saturday morning, and are wondering if we are going to make it till then. It will certainly stir things up if the baby makes an appearance at the class!

Good luck KiwiKate. It's very likely that you will have your baby this week. Have you been having Braxton Hicks contractions? Get stomping and get that baby bouncing on your cervix!

Good luck kiwikate hope you don't have to wait too long.

Morning! Still here, although increasing Braxton Hicks and crampy pains - think this baby is just a tease! Don't want to upset you Kiwikate, but I had a show about 10 days before having ds2 - I kept thinking labour was imminent so v annoying!
Does anyone know anything about clary sage oil? Apparently it's brilliant for use in labour, not sure how, so will research.

Found this if anyone's interested - I'm off to buy some!
Body ~ A recent clinical study involving the use of essential oils being used during labor found clary sage was beneficial for it analgesic effects, relaxing effects and its ability to accelerate labor. Clary sage combines well with lavender, jasmine, neroli and sandalwood during childbirth. Encourages labor, enables the expectant Mom to relax and eases post natal depression.

Am going to be lurking here today and probably unable to post as have mother and great g/mother and g/aunt (who used to be a midwife, so rather handy) coming to play with DD. DD (nearly 3)is currently organising a picnic for all her farm animals...amazing how their imagination works!
Kiwikate, sounds like you may have your baby soon. My show came about 2 hours before the mega contractions started, so hope for you that it won't be a long drawn out process. Keeping fingers crossed for you.
Keep expecting to come on here and a baby to of been born over night, getting very exciting.
More crampy pains for me last night, had about 3 baths...have this weird obsession with being clean for the hospital. Water did not ease things either, so was convinced that I was in labour...again. Soooooooo fed up with being PG. Think DH may also be fed up with me being PG as was very lax with the sympathy last night and continued to do his stupid suduko throughout my grumbling!! Will check back in later to see if any news.

OMG, raspberry leaf tea is sooooo DISGUSTING!!!

I started off thinking the Raspberry leaf tea tasted quite nice - as fruit/herbal teas go. Now I can't stand it and I actually think it makes me feel nauseas. Yet another box of unfinished herbal tea to clutter up my kitchen cupboard.