The one where the BROOKERS make babies and blankets and hats and other crochet stuff!

[BeedlesPineNeedles]

I almost put this in arts and crafts, seeing as how we talk about crochet as much as we talk about babies!

imps I bloomin well hope so! There was also a leaflet about donating cord blood (I assume I get the tea and biscuits afterwards not the baby!)

geek I saw kermit too, good that they're keeping a close eye on you and geekling.

beedles what a daft question on your cs form! At my NHS scanning department they stress how important it is to let your sonographer know if you think you may be pregnant before the scan begins - and at my first NHS consultant appointment they noted the pregnancy was IVF then asked if it was planned!

imps I don't think so, because my fluid levels were normal and the baby was in proportion all over - I saw the senior registrar yesterday and she panicked because it's a double donor pregnancy so she thought she had to disregard my own family history regarding (lack of) diabetes and treat it as 'unknown' family history!

Glad your tour went well imps it would be lovely if you were in the birthing centre. I'm still sad that it's been written off for me. Amazing that MrI can stay too!

There is so much inconsistency with the NHS - the senior registrar has me penned as high risk purely because this is an ivf pregnancy, despite this going against CCG guidelines! At least nobody was pushing induction again yesterday, because that just ain't happening

It surprises me too how little inconsistency there is between trusts - eg GTT is entirely standard for everyone here, but elsewhere it's not.

Am also not a fan of someone of the contradictions - eg at the antenatal classes they very much told us that we have final say in what happens during birth process and that we should feel empowered to make decisions that are right for us. I wrote on my birth preference/plan that I did not under any circumstances want to be offered or take pethidine or diamorphine (which is an informed decision) only for the MW yesterday to tell me that I shouldn't rule it out! Way to make me feel empowered

imps my last labour they wanted to give me pethidine despite similar birth plan

geek what a lovely pic, glad you're keeping the drs on their toes :)

beedle hope you can relax... Make lists for mrb to do! I tried to donate milk after kip was born but they wouldn't accept due to Ivf drugs

I've heard a lot of people saying they won't have pethidine, can I ask what your reasons are keep and imps? I've only had it once and it was bloody good stuff, just wondering if there is something I should know about in relation to births and labour.

It's because it crosses the placenta and can make the baby drowsy geek. It's good stuff, morphine, but that was my reason at least

Yes, as Keep said and also I don't want to feel drunk/sick/drugged up as that would make me feel completely out of control.

Keep how are you all getting along my lovely?

So I went for a wee about 0330 on Monday morning, couldn't get back to sleep, baby v wriggly, you know the score. Anyway at about 0430 I think I felt my waters go with a little pop, so woke dh. Luckily my mum was here for the weekend to help with kip, so we phoned the birth centre, told them we were coming, woke my mum, left, got to Hosp at 5. Contractions started about then but not v strong and when I was examined at 0530 was only 3cm. She advised not to get in the pool too soon as it could head things off. But 15 mins later I told them to fill the pool, got in at 6, contractions started coming stronger. I was never examined after that one time, she just told me to listen to my body. Wtf, I thought, I want to know how long I have to do thus for, but then it can vary so much anyway I guess... Anyway it was obvious to me when I had to push, and baby was born shortly before 7. I had gas and air which dh had to keep reminding me to use. The mw didn't touch him, he slithered into the water, then she and dh told me to reach and grab him, I pulled him through onto my chest. We had skin to skin and delayed cord clamping, then stayed in our room all day till all the baby checks were done (6+ he's after birth), it was lovely and peaceful. The birth pool was low light, warm, quiet (except a v noisy woman next door who I thought was pushing for hours but wasn't) and I labour v quietly it seem. So it was lovely, I actually can't think of how it could have gone better

Feeling ridiculously happy and lucky

Love to all

Lovely thanks imps he is v snoozy at the moment which won't last. Feeding is OK though nipples need to toughen up. Kip very 'loving', wants to keep trying to prise his eyes open... I am feeling fine, so calm and relaxed so far. Walked over a mile today, so all is OK, just a bit stingy down below (no stitches just a little grazed/stretched)

I'm actually v good at the pregnancy and birth bits, it seems, just terrible at getting pregnant!

It's weird not to be pregnant, to have him here, to sleep on my tummy. Back/hip pain already vanished!

At bedtime kip said 'is the baby still out'? Another gem, as I ger home from Hosp 'mummy why is your tummy still fat'?

Sounds perfect keep. Does he have a name?
I'm hoping to do it with out pain relief again but like last time I'm open to anything. I hate it if things don't go to plan so it's best for me not to have too much of a birth plan and go with the flow. Although I liked the fact that having an induction ment I knew when it was all going to happen!
Obviously I think birth centre is ruled out for me again but I don't mind what ever they think is best. I had another scan today with heart specialist and there was talk of me having the baby there, ummmm John radcliffe is over an hour away

Keep that sounds totally beautiful. The birth of dreams! Great stuff - well done you and well done BabyBoyKeep for letting it happen like that. Good lad. How much did he weigh?

Glad you didn't have stitches - all of my NCT lot have had to have them so I'm assuming it's a v common thing. Can I ask if you did perineal massage? I keep forgetting plus it's fucking weird and I don't like it

Ahh thanks both, that makes sense, I didn't realise it would have that effect on baby.

Lovely birth story keep that sounds so peaceful and natural (and flipping quick!). Nice to hear about a birth that doesn't involve tearing and stitching, too

trix maybe they'd induce? Was your birth quick last time? I certainly wouldn't want to have to travel an hour in labour...
imps I didn't have stitches last time either. I trued perineal massage one time last time but it was hideous and weird and just wrong!

He's Felix Barnaby :) 7lb4

Felix Barnaby is a delightful name!!! Love it

That sounds absolutely perfect keep and he's got a lovely name.

You got your CS date yet Beedles?

Not yet imps, I have to go in on the 24th, and they might do it the same day (but they need to tell me in advance) otherwise it will be a day or two later. So you can get B-B prepared to come that week!

keep when are you going to treat us to a picture?

Aaah okay Beedles. Blimey it will be weird to know how to prepare on 24th - both bracing yourself for potential CS that day and bracing yourself for a wait of a few more days.

Just had consultant appt confirming that they're happy everything's low risk now. Although I have developed a mild urine infection since Monday which I had no idea about. He said that I didn't need to take antibiotics, although if the infection developed it could bring on early labour. I've gone for the antibiotics.

Gah just got to work and promptly burst into tears - 4 news matters sent my way this morning. I'm going to be working all hours at this rate. The lack of support/management of handover is shocking. I've only got 4 days left after today and there are 3 other people in the team - I should not be picking up new work. Grrrr.

Sorry, venting.

Hand that new stuff straight over to someone else imps you should be winding down now. I think my boss was taught a valuable lesson last week after he piled a load of work on me and then I got signed off for 4 weeks. Considering we already have one person off due to stress he should have known better. He doesn't know that my bleeding isn't stress related!

Had my first antenatal class today (should have been there last week too) it seemed quite useful and the other people seemed quite normal!

Ffs imps what idiots. Hand it straight back. Gosh, 4 days, how wonderful!!

You feeling OK beedle? Will be v odd to arrange the cs

All is wonderful here, I was walking to the park the day the day after and feel pretty good physically. Yesterday, day 3, was the renowned Crying Day and lived up to it ;)
Get weighed (him) tomorrow. I'm slightly nervous of jaundice as kip had it and he's v sleepy if not feeding (every hour last night...). Fingers crossed he's not lost too much weight

BTW my back and hops were immediately miraculously cured

Thinking of you trix, when's next scan/appt?

I emailed my boss to tell him that I don't believe it sensible for him to allocate me new work as it takes a long time to handover matters and in the interests of costs and efficiency the less I have to hand over the better. Which is fucking obvious really and he shouldn't need to be told.

And what really fucks me off is that Wanker Boss will always decline to pick up new work at least a week before he goes on holiday on the basis that it wouldn't make sense for him to start something that then needs to be handed over for a week or so while he's away. He is such a lazy arse.

Sorry, you can tell he's got my goat.

Keep that all sounds so lovely (apart from the crying bit, but that's part and parcel I suppose, isn't it). Glad the weather's still nice enough for walks outside.