About to start / Just started / Trying for a while TTC no.2 (part 5)

[GingerbreadBabyPlease]

Here we are ladies, part 5, with a new spin to the title to include some of us long-timers!
May it bring many, many more BFPs and some happy, healthy babies

Karmanna - Yes it is a bit of a tricky situation. DH is definitely staying in contact with the kids and will try to come to Sweden a few times every year and I will come to SA as well (as soon as I have a job and can pay for the trips). We'll have to do the best out of the situation and see how it goes. We are not fighting or anything, we are both mostly sad so we will part on good terms which is the best way to build a relationship even if we are apart.

My parents are super excited. They come to SA every year and I go home once a year but obviously seeing their grandchild twice a year is not enough. They are also very excited about the new addition and I will very much appreciate the help and support that they will give.

I have nurtured my friendships in Sweden so I still have most of the friends that I had when I left. I have some wonderful best friends and I am looking forward to having them close by again for sure.

DD is 3 years and 7 months (she is turning 4 on 18 October and baby boy is due 14 October so great timing on my part). I hope she will settle in well in Sweden, I think she will as she is super sociable and not afraid of new people etc. The only barrier will be the language. I have spoken Swedish to her as much as possible but her first language is English so we'll have to work on that although I am sure she will pick it up quickly.

Hi Karmanna - I see the midwife this afternoon so hopefully I will find out position of baby and if he's nearly ready. I then have the home birth team tomorrow so will report back on both. Fingers crossed so far this pregnancy has been fine. When pregnant with my DS I had bleeding twice and had to go to hospital on both occasions although nothing thankfully was wrong. I just want to sail through the next 4 weeks and have a nice birth. How are you enjoying your new house?
It must be nice to not be with your parents.
Hi Swede - I read your posts and feel so very sad for you and your children. You sound remarkably strong though and positive and I think that's something very admirable. I think I would have gone to pieces but you are dealing with it so well and I'm pleased for you that you and your DH are able to be amicable. That's very rare these days.
How's everyone else?
Where's Hungry ? KT?

Sorry, I'm here, just busy with unpacking and working!

I've also got a horrible cough / cold, which isn't helping matters. :-/

Swede, you sound like you're trying to make the best of an awful situation. I admire your strength.

Mrs, how did it go? Not long now!

I'm 28 weeks tomorrow, so hopefully only 11 weeks off my ELCS! I get my date in 4 weeks' time.

Hi to any new people I've not said hi to before.

How is everyone else doing?

Morerum, I'm so glad your DH's business is going so well. What a relief. :-)

Better, how did your DH get on at work?

Better, I still get most kicks on the right, so I think my placenta is on the left. I think I'm having another strong baby though as the kicks really hurt!

Hi Hungry- how has the move gone? Have you still got lots to do in the new pad? Saw the midwife today and all is good, I'm measuring 36 weeks and baby's head is down, although not engaged but he has 4 weeks to go so hopefully his head will engage soon. Listened to baby's heartbeat which is always nice and I go back in 2 weeks time when I'm 38 weeks! I'm meant to get a call from the home birth team at 8am tomorrow to tell me what time they're coming over to see me and DH so I will let you all know how that goes tomorrow.
How's everyone doing?
All those who are pregnant, is everyone eating well and/or having any strange cravings?

Can I also ask your opinions on choices for the name of my new baby boy? We like Henry, Louie, Oscar and Max. Can you give preferences and be honest as I won't be offended. We are struggling to decide.

Swede, good that you still have a network of close friends in gbg. That's the one thing I miss about London. My friends there became like a second family and I wish I could just swoop them up and make them live here, but as dh's parents live there we try to go a couple of times a year. Most of the friends I had before I left have moved away or abroad and I work from home so don't get much chance of meeting new people. I'm sure your dd will pick up the language in no time, especially if she's starting nursery? We speak mainly English to ds at home but at nursery they speak swedish to him so he picks it all up. They're brains are like sponges at this age so she'll be fine! Bit of swenglish maybe to start off with. :)

mrsm, yes I'm loving our house and so nice for ds to have his own bedroom finally, and he loves being able to run round the garden. Don't get me wrong, I am eternally thankful to my parents for putting us up for so long but it is nice to have somewhere to call our own. That's really encouraging about the position of baby, hope he stays head down! Sounds like you'll be the perfect candidate for a homebirth, let us know how it goes tomorrow!

mrsm, I like Louie! And also Max as that is the name of one of my best friends. Henry makes me think a bit of Horrid Henry (sorry) but don't take my word for it, I like strange names. Ds name is Phoenix Love. Although Love is an actual boy's name in Sweden! :)

Thanks Karmanna - I hope baby stays head down too. Phoenix is a lovely name. I also think of horrid Henry but u do like it. It's so hard to choose. It's also thinking of a first and middle name that go well together. My DS is Jack Oliver.

Mrs, I love the name Max (was considering that for a while) but we had a dog called that so always relate to that which is a bit weird for me. Otherwise I am a big fan of both Henry and Oscar. No idea what to name my boy. Middle name will be Magnus after my dad but otherwise totally clueless. It will have to be something fairly short to go with DD, her name is Emma.

We have a Max (and the week he was born one of my friends got a rescue dog whose name was Max!). It was the only name DH and I could agree on, plus works well in English and Dutch as pronunciation is not too different.

mrs I like henry and max but I noticed you mn name is mrs m? would max go with your surname. so you sre 4 weeks tomorrow and i am 3 weeks on Sunday! dd was 5 days late so we could give birth on the same day! eeekk its so close

Hi Morerum - yes I'm due 4 weeks tomorrow and you're 3 weeks on Sunday, so close it's crazy! My midwife told me that anything from 37 weeks is full term so could even be early this time although I doubt it for me as my DS was 12 days over. Scary stuff. How's your DH getting in with the business?

mrs hes doing really well obviously landscaping in seasonal so hes going to be very busy in the summer months but were hoping to have saved enough for a wee family holiday in the winter. will need to wait till nearer the time though.
the baby turned on its own on monday so defo not beech anymore just hope it stays in position!
have you or anyone on here tried they raspberry leaf tea tablets? afew friends have recommended for speeding up labour my last one was 28hrs! x

Hi everyone,

hungry they told me at my scan last week that the placentas still anterior but high, so we must just have strong ones. How long do you have left at work?

All lovely names mrs one of your choices is our only option for a boy! How was the home birth visit???

morerum 3 weeks on Sunday!!!! Crazy! How are you?? Brilliant news re baby being head down and dh doing so well! I drank raspberry leaf tea (about 3 cups) 6days before dd was due, I went in to labour the next day. Currently got it in the amazon basket ready for a few weeks time!!

Mrs, I like Henry Oscar (I associate Oscar with a dog: black Labrador!). I think it sounds good. :-)

Better, I finish 3 weeks tomorrow, at lunch time, so 14.5 working days left. Cannot wait to finish. I'm so tired.

Mrs, we are still unpacking. Hopefully get it sorted this weekend, though we are off to a first birthday party on Saturday, so maybe not!

I can't get over how close morerum and Mrs are to full term. Bonkers!

I need to know where Windy is. She must've had her baby by now!

Better, interesting re your placenta. Was your scan ok? Is the consultant happy with everything?

Engels, when is your scan?

Good evening ladies,
Morerum - Wonderful news that your baby has moved and also about your DH, do you know if your baby's head is actually engaged yet or just down? My baby's head still needs to engage but at least it's down. I drank raspberry leaf tea towards the end of my last pregnancy as I heard it is rang to bring on labour and also make labour easier but I was still 12 days over with my DS and still a long nearly 30 hour labour. I'm not sure what's true and what is just myths.
Hi Hungry - I also wonder what's happened to Windy. I hope she's ok . Will she have had her baby? If so, let's hope she's just very busy with her new baby. Glad the move went ok but a shame you still have unpacking to do. Can't believe you finish work in 3 weeks, that's also gone quickly !
Hi Better - when is your DH back?
Well sorry to say this but the home visit today was awful and really pointless.

Sorry I got broken off there before I finished explaining about the home birth visit. I feel really disappointed as does my DH because they sent one midwife only and she was awful, she was extremely unfriendly and cold and abrupt, she never said anything like yes it was a good idea to have a home birth or anything at all, she just said it was fine to have one and in fact said very little at all. She have us no information about home births, there was no list given to me of things I will need. She seemed very put out that my DS was playing in the background and even told me she doesn't like children. All she did was come and took a few details down such as my due date and that was it really. We still feel positive about having the home birth but just hope it won't be that particular midwife on the day of my actual birth as she was so cold and frosty and just very very unfriendly. I'll now have to ask my midwife what I need for the home birth etc. Oh the only thing she did say was to have biscuits in for the midwives. I should have asked if she had any particular preference!

Monday night .....can't believe how slowly time is ticking by!

I bet you're shattered hungry home straight now really though!! How's your dd doing? The scan was fine. Baby is 3lbs so fine size wise, placenta is still functioning ok and fluid around the baby looks good. The baby is only between the 10th & 50th percentile lines, so they're keeping an eye on that BUT I'm not concerned because if it stays on that line then that gives a birth weight of 7lbs 6oz (dd was 7lb 4oz) so I think that's fine. 50th percentile would be 7lb11oz and the top line over 9lb which as I'm tiny probably isn't preferable! Hopefully just one more scan in 4 weeks then back to low risk.

Oh mrs how disappointing! Midwife sounds like a right cow, she sounds like my midwife! Why do people choose to do such a vocational job if they're clearly not suited to it?! Would you consider complaining? How will you know if it could possibly be her that comes for the birth? You don't want that hanging over you!

What a miserable cow, mrs. :-/

They're meant to send you some kit. Did she mention that? And how sodding cheeky re biscuits! Get some boring ones and some awesome ones and if it's her give her shitty biscuits!

Engels, not long now...hope time speeds up a bit! How're you feeling?

Mrs, I have 5.5 weeks' annual leave to take and mat leave starts at 37 weeks. Not bad considering I had been going to start at 29 weeks!!

Hi Better and Hungry - she was a totally miserable cow! She never brought or mentioned any kind of kit. I'm not sure what to do because I won't know who is coming out until I'm in labour and it'll be whoever is working at that particular time. They send two midwives, that's all I know but I would be gutted if she was one of them. I mean fancy being a midwife if you dislike children. That's like being a vet but not liking animals!?
Hungry - Any suggestions for the boring biscuits just in case?
Better - I'm pleased about your scan. Sorry for my self-centred sounding post all about my home birth visit. I'm small too and my DS was 8 pounds 3 ounces! How can they tell you the weight of the baby from a scan?

Oh forgot to answer, I would complain but I won't. She's not my midwife, just one of the home birth team who works at the hospital. I just know her name was Laura. When I ring delivery suite to say I'm in labour I'll cry if they say they are sending lovely Laura.
The only thing I'm worried about now is things like if I go too far over my due date and have to be induced as I would have to go in hospital for that.

Hi everyone, I am still here and reading to catch up with you all! Cannot believe how close mrs and morerum are!! How time flies!
Rum I drank raspberry leaf tea with DD, think I started about 39 weeks. She was 9days late, but I had a pretty good labour, laboured at home from 1am to 4 pm the next day, went into hospital at 4 and she was born at 7pm, so whether it was the tea or not that sped things up I don't know. it can't hurt to try, and actually tasted quite nice!
mrs sorry your appointment was so rubbish, what a disappointment. What is with all these terrible midwives! I know it must be difficult staying happy and cheerful all the time when you are working, but really, when a woman is in one of the most exciting times of her life they could at least be friendly and happy for you! Maybe give them a call and say you would like someone else to come and visit you before you reach full term, who can give you some useful information, reassurance and the birthing pack you will more than likely need!
Hungry agree with you about Windy,can't believe someone from the start of this thread will have had their baby already! Glad you are making progress with your unpacking, hope you are managing to get some rest though too! Not long to go for you now either, bet you cannot wait to finish work!
Better glad everything is going well for you too, babys weight seems like it will be just fine, but it must be reassuring to know they are keeping a close eye on you. Sorry I can't remember, you've probably mentioned, are you going for a natural birth or elcs?
swede I hope you are doing ok, I do think about you and what you are going through. I'm glad you and DH are going to try and keep things amicable, and I'm glad you have some good friends, and family, waiting for you back in Sweden. DD will absolutely love her new life and being able to learn a new language!
Well as for me, I am doing really well. My month off is going very well, I am having a girly weekend next weekend, then off to Amsterdam a few weeks after that, then it is my birthday, then I have a party to go to! After my impulsive night out last week, I am remembering what it was like to have a social life before DD came along. I am even considering waiting until the end of summer, or maybe even longer, to start trying again. It's only now I have realised how all consuming ttc had become for me. I have been pretty miserable for the last ten months or so, but I am coming round to the idea of a larger age gap between my children, and realizing that might not be the terrible thing I thought it would! I am still only 27 so young enough to wait a while before having more children. I think I might go to college in September to change careers, and just enjoy doing things for myself for a bit. I may well change my mind again in a few weeks, but DD is pretty all consuming right now as I'm sure you all know toddlers can be, and I just want to enjoy my life rather than be miserable all the time and jealous of every pregnant woman I see! I am surprised at my own turn around of thoughts to be honest, I thought all I ever wanted was to be a mother to lots of children, but it's funny how life has a way of working out, the future could still look bright even if there is only DD in it! (gosh,sorry for the soppiness, I may have had a few ciders to drink!)

Mrs, Rich Tea will do. :-)

Better, DD is well. Still only 2 teeth though loads of teething symptoms. She's 11 months next week. Where does time go?!

She's back at the dietician on Monday to review her lactose intolerance, which we think is very much improved, but just want advice on how to start on cow's milk as I'm not sure saturation technique is the way forwards!

What's everyone doing this weekend? We are unpacking the remaining stuff and going to a first birthday party too. Exciting! :-)