The PESH deli where we were so distracted we forgot to think of a new title

[FannyPriceless]

THE NOT-LIST

BESH BAYBEES
dontrythisathome, Bay Amaryllis born March 25.
Cheggers, twinz girlz, born April
FannyPriceless, boy, born June 8
CurlyCasper, girl, born June 24
CUNextTuesday, born June 29
Skihorse, boy, born 1 July

UPDIFFED
IggyPiggy, The one who loves BUMSEX, due July 20
Carrots, giving birth in a lavender field, damn it, due July 25 (boy)
Cosmosis, the one that likes a good ride, due August 22
backinthebox, she bought a racehorse, due September 6
skatergrrrl, the one that overtook the rest, September ??
VAG, lives in De Nile, due 19 September
silversky, the biggest farter, due 18 October (first baybee)
Honeymoo, 3 wees a night, due October 31 (boy)
okiecokie, self-confessed control freak, due November 6
SomethingSuitablyWitty, benelux babe, due November 14
ReginaMonologue, knows when all the sales are, due November 20 (boy)
maswera, jungle hottie - due November (???)
PollyPoo, wants to name her baybee after the dog, The New Messiah is due December 25

PS I think I uttered "please to not be having one now?" to jailbait when in the birthing suite. Honestly. I'm sure I said I was prepared to go home right NOW without baybee and that we'd be OK without.

Kind of thinking boy now, but still quite undecided. what ever it is, it is very pointy!

OOh my bump is also of the pointy variety, Cos! it's like a hard ridge right down my middle. V odd. Everyone, almost without fail, says "ooh that's a boy". Except I have 3 friends who have bet it is a girl just cos it looks so much like a boy-bump.

Cos do not fear the Top Of The List since Skater has form in queue-jumping.....

I had my first NCT class Saturday - it was actually quite good. There wasn't really much that was new to me but it really helped that now I know TSF knows stuff too. He found it very useful. Our classmates seem nice and non-freaky (and of course all mid-thirties career types - it's the demographic of the area...) We have the breastfeeding class tonight. On Saturday the tutor talked through the stages of labour and I almost cried. Managed not to by sipping water and blinking a lot. Did not want to look Pathetic in front of class. Is this normal?

I won't be able to find the sex out here, apparently. Unless I go private, I suppose.

Ah, had forgotten skates queue jumping propensity, feel calmer now. skates feel free to jump this queue

VAG are you also finding that sometimes the movements really really hurt? I am convinced Atrie is going to come out with fingers like Edward Scissorhands.

Do you want to find out the sex Medee? We've decided we don't want to, I want the surprise. Both for us and other people. I know someone who new the sex and told everyone the name and it meant it was much less exciting when she did the birth announcement.

Cos Clint's movements are a bit like a small but heavy and solid bowling-ball running across my skin - he seems totally jam-packed in there and every wriggle is very strong and usually very visible. If he's squirming while I am walking I have to slow down, it's that uncomfortable. But not jabby or scissory

Is it Wrong of me to equate my bump with that scene in Alien? I really do feel like Clint is going to burst forth dramatically, or, that I will end up like that snake who ate an alligator.

Muser - I felt that too - a work colleague told us he was havign a boy and told us the name, long before baby was born. Somehow felt like too much private information to me. I quite like not knowing (though we will def be surprised if it's a girl).

When do you first start feeling movements? I know it's going to freak me out.

Also, is nearly time for a new fred. New fred!

I do, but MrM doesn't. I don't know that I would have told people, and I don't know why I do, but I do want to know. So, I guess the local NHS has made that decision for us, and saves any marital disharmony!

New the sex? New the sex! Oh god. Knew. Knew knew knew. Brainfail.

20 weeks, I think, Muse, when it is your first.

I felt movement from around 17-18 weeks but I ignored it as first-timers usually don't feel it until 20+ weeks. I thought it must just be wind. Then at a wedding at week 19 I ate rather a large plate of meringue and Clint went nuts and even TSF could feel it - as he pointed out, there isn't anything else that could be doing that. And movements have been growing stronger every week. Lots of the time it is lovely, we often watch my tummy instead of the TV [sad couple emoticon], but when I'm trying to work/concentrate/get taken by surprise by it I sometimes find it irritating. Clint also likes to have a play just when I am trying to drop off to sleep.

I first felt at 16+6 but it just felt like a twitchy nerve. You kind of get them gradually so you don't really notice at first. It's a good job, and if you started off with the movements that I am getting now you'd be well freaked. We play guessing games as to what it is - kneecap, heel, fist etc. Whatever it is, it's always sharp! Apart from the arse that sticks out on the right under my ribs that is.

we are mostly telling everyone it's either going to be called Barrie or Pauline, and it?s been hugely entertaining watching the expressions on peoples faces as they try and find something nice to say, before they work out it?s a joke.

WTEWYE does mention that watching your bump can be more interesting than reality TV.

I keep flicking ahead, and then grimacing whenever I see the picture of footling breach.

Honestly it's amazing, the amount it moves about! and how close the baby seems to the surface!!

Welcome to the world Miss Igglett! Brilliant news and big love to the whole family. Cant wait to hear birth story details and pics.

Yes I did indeed fast forward my pregnancy a month - GP said I was 8 weeks after feeling me up and I was 12 weeks. Due 1 September.. given that I didn't know I was pregnant for the first 2 months, this has been a super-speedy pregnancy!

Glad you're enjoying NCT VAG. I want all the other girls to like me and be my new best friend. Am I normal?

First felt SkaterBabe move around 18 weeks. S/'s really strong now, quite miss those gentle flutterings!

Did you have no symptoms in teh first two months, Skater? Or did you just not realise what they were?

Ski I am feeling all ready and actually sitting here at the moment thinking 'bring it on!' Much the way I was last time. Obviously I need to wait just a couple more weeks to be officially term, but have no desire to wait much longer than that (although family form means I probably will have to.)

I am reading the Hippobirthing book atm (Ta Rots!) and have been wondering a lot about this. The bit I am reading is all about how women fear birth, which leads to tension, which leads to pain. Next it mentions that medicalised birth leads to further intervention which can lead to things going wrong but if you have a calm pain-free intervention-free birth things don't go wrong. Then it goes on about the power of the mind vs medical pain relief for a bit. Which got me thinking about what happened last time. So - a little bit about me!

WARNING don't read any further if you are at all worried about birth, as I don't want to be responsible for you thinking it is the end of the world!

Basically, I have a degree in human physiology, my final year specialisation was in pain transmission, then I worked in pharmaceuticals as a pain specialist, and now I have a completely unrelated job, but it is a job where fear is not an option. The pain specialist job meant I spoke to a lot of consultant anaesthetists who were beyond the level of just knocking people out for surgery, but were doing things like highly advanced and unusual alternative pain relief for patients with pain that could not be controlled by drugs. They routinely used hypnosis, touch, nerve stimulation and lots of other different techniques, and I was fascinated. When I was pregnant last time I developed my own little mental relaxation and visualisation technique based on what I had learned years before combined with more recent books on hypnosis for surgery and dentistry. I wasn't afraid, and my method worked. (I have since used my method to remain calm and unfussed while a doctor flushed out an injury to my knee that was so deep the kneecap was exposed, and it was too dirty to inject with anaesthetic straight away with some cleaning first, so I am very happy it is a good method!) I had a back-to-back labour that lasted 42 hours from the first strong contractions till the minute I was rushed to theatre, and during those 42 hrs I used my technique, a bit of reflexology and massage, TENS, and then in the latter few hours G&A. All the while my contractions were squidging my daughter more and more into a position she wasn't going to get out of. I have been told that the pain should have been excruciating and I really ought to have had an epidural hours before but I really did not feel I needed one. Eventually it was decided I needed an immediate emergency section, which was poorly carried out and left both me and DD in high dependency care for 5 days. (DD had Apgar of 1, and my blood pressure was below 70/40 and I lost a lot of blood.) Bear with me - this is the short version .

Fast forward to this time. Once again I am feeling very ready, I have confidence in my ability to do this, and am not afraid. I feel I have prepared well. But reading the Hippo book I got as far as page 74-75 where the author gives an account of a woman with a 'victim' mentality who had a terrible birth and then immediately goes on to say 'it is said that a woman births pretty much the way she lives her life.' So now I'm sitting here (the book has already got my back up at this point) thinking - that's wrong. I would definitely place myself closer to life's do-ers and fighters than life's victims and failure, but that is what that section seems to be suggesting and this has really rather annoyed me. I have no idea if it is just the hormones, but it has. I'm not even sure why I've even typed out all of this burble!

But anyway. I'm ready. And I really don't mind if I push to the front past Cossie and Skates.

God, I've spent that log blathering that there have been loads of posts while I was droning on.

About movement and playing with the baby - DD discovered last night that if she puts her night light agains my tummy it causes Baybee to wriggle and kick at it! Cue much amusement from DD I felt movement around 18 weeks each time.

Medee I had no morning sickness/fainting/ sore boobs. I had a very short, light period. Actually come to think of it I had twinges of mild nausea but as I was abroad and taking malaria tablets which make you nauseous; I put it down to that. It was only when I missed my next period that I tested & went to my GP, who counted the light period as a real period and said I was only just pregnant.

I found out I was 12 weeks not 8 when I had terrible bleeding (& same GP told me I'd lost the baby) & I went for a scan at EPU. Surprise #1: Baby is alive! Surprise # 2: Baby is fecking big! (So big in fact I could have been scanned through my tummy not with a dildo cam).

Stupid GP.

You know, VAG, I'm all yours, so long as you don't want to turn me into your very own Boxing Helena. Have you told your husband that when the baby comes, me and you are running away together with it? [deadly serious emoticon]

Muse I didn't feel mine for ages... I think roughly 20 weeks or so. I've got a high (luckily) anterior placenta though so had a big blind spot across my bump padding the blows... I think it's lovely if you can wait. We didn't, but I'm glad as I feel much more bonded with my bump knowing what's in there. And we're keeping the name secret so there's a bit more occasion around the eventual announcement. I would LOVE to be as patient as everyone else but alas...

VAG I don't blame you for blubbing during birth chat. I welled up 3 times during hospital tour on sat. What a wuss. Glad also everyone v normal. It must be like starting school and meeting new friends. Hopefully we will get a semi normal bunch of folk who are roughly same age. Everytime I walk down the road all preggo women look about 22.

skater it actually defies belief how stupid your GP is. You must have been beside yourself.

Hugest congratulations for FamilyIggs - hope you're enjoying this very special time

Box - Put the book down.....step away from the book .

Good to hear NCT training is going well VAG & that the other girlies seem normal

Have just got back from a weekend in the great outdoors and wow, what a lot of posts. I can officially confirm that my brain is already turning into mush - completely forgot to pack nappies & wipes, snacks for DD, raincover for buggie, shampoo, sunblock sheets (amongst other things that I've forgotten about already) but did remember to bring hubbie, although should have left him at home as he's blimmin' useless with a tent. Luckily we were with luvlee NCT friends who were very helpful.
Have also just spent the last hour doing a piece of work that I had done already - did it Friday & completely forgot (doh).
Also forgot to put water in the car & over-heated on way to work - nice AA man sorted me out & gave me a brief lecture on checking these things properly every week(whoops).

Must remember to pick-up DD after work

medee If you get a footling breech you will be given a c-section - or at least the option of it - for the love of god, take it! Don't look at those pictures... it's completely unecessary. I don't even like looking at them now... As for your NHS not divulging the sex - praise Alan you're no longer in Glasgow - trusts there apparently don't even like doing the 12 week scan!

I felt Bear move at 17+3 I think it was.

Cossie/VAG You are right - skater has previous form and I wouldn't put it past boxer either as she has a highly competitive streak in her!

boxer Yes, I can see that - "ski is totally oblivious to all that is going on around her as she hurtles towards catastrophe. At the last moment a more mature person steps in to save the day." Dare I say I'm quite glad to read your daughter started with an Apgar of 1 - Bear had 5 and I was scared that this might affect him in the future - but I see the initial low score bears absolutely no relevance upon the health of your daugher!

I ummed and aahed about sharing the sex/name with real people before he was born - but I have no regrets - and if they're offended - their problem! Apart from hormones making me reconsider the name a couple of weeks before he was born, I've no regrets.