All those online for NZ timezone!

[buzzybee]

Hi all. Used to be a regular on MN when I lived in London but since moving back to NZ have found it harder to make the connections due to all the brits being asleep when us down under are online! So if anyone is keen to start a thread for those of us in this predicament please reply! My DD has just turned 5 and started school last week (scary). Have just found out I'm expecting number 2 - due roughly Xmas day...

New MW was just great. I really liked her. Very supportive and sensible and nice too. Feel as though I will be in safe hands. And other good news is that the dreaded consultant has just resigned apparently and is moving to Brisbane, so I hopefully won't have to see her. Hurray! However there will probably now be a consultant shortage and various crises because of that...we will see.
I am rather creakily trying to gear up for xmas. Crazy I know, but I figure there is no way I'm going to do it in December and DH is no help at all, so need to get a bit of shopping in now...

That's great Shells, so pleased for you. You're probably right about consultant shortage though. Might explain why I have had my ultrasound appointment bumped on Monday too - something about the sonographer needing to assist a consultant. She's at Bowen Hospital so maybe they're outsourcing some stuff privately to fill the gap? Anyway its not so bad - re-scheduled for later in the day and have decided to take the day off rather than go into work then back to the hospital etc. Quite looking forward to it!

Have you got someone to go with you? Fingers crossed.

Yes thanks. Same person who came with me to the ill-fated previous scan at Wellington Women's. She's really lovely and has a 3 month old so fully understands my thought processes. She also lives just around the corner - we both live in Ngaio so Bowen's just down the road. Absolutely agree - really have my fingers crossed this will be a more positive experience!! Will keep you posted...

Good luck for the scan Buzzybee, hope it is a more positive experience - I'm sure it will be lovely seeing your LO on the screen

Hi Anna and Shells and everyone!
Had my 30 week scan today and everything's fine
Kidneys normal!! Only "unusual" thing was that there's a large amount of amniotic fluid - but as the sonographer said, better too much than too little. Probably explains why I'm feeling so huge and umcomfortable. My MW visiting this evening so will just double check with her that there's nothing I should be worried about there (and whether's there's anyway to reduce it to improve my comfort levels...) but generally it seems like I should just get on with the next 10 weeks as normal and LO shouldn't even need to have a post-natal scan to check the kidneys.
The sonographer was sooooo lovely too. A complete change from last time. She took all the key measurements again and said baby measured about average for all but one of them - i.e. about average sized (she calculated just 3lb 8oz) which is all good considering I'm still hoping for the homebirth. She also confirmed that she's a girl!! (and head down but that could change - especially as there's so much fluid to move around in).
Only "bad" thing was that I got faint again half way through the scan just like at the dentist's the other day. She said that's normal - something about weight pressing down on key vein to the heart - and I should try not to lie on my back in bed. Haven't been anyway as not very comfy.
Look forward to meeting the Welly-mums next Sunday.

Oops - the meet-up's Saturday isn't it! Look forward to meeting you at the Zoo 11am (in the cafe if wet)

Hmmmm - well maybe spoke a bit too soon. After talking to MW tonight the less good news is that my homebirth aspirations now look unlikely and in fact quite likely I will have an early birth, possibly induced or elective c-section. Reason is that pressure from large amounts of amniotic fluid can cause waters to break early and that can be quite dangerous and is occasionally associated with risk of haemarroging (sp?). The condition is called polyhydramnios - anyone heard of it or know someone that's had it? Probably also means another trip to see the hospital consultants (might be joining you Shells!). At this point I'm almost thinking elective c-section at about 38 weeks (if I can make it that far) looks appealing...

Buzzy, I'm SO pleased about the scan. Even if things get complicated with the birth, sounds like you'll have a gorgeous healthy girl. How lovely. We might have our babies together! Will mail you about meet up.

Buzzy that's fab news that the scan went so well. Shame about the possible issues with home birth tho. I don't know anything about the amniotic fluid situation but I'm sure if you search on MN somebody sometime will ahve posted about it! Sounds like you would possibly prefer the elective C/S to induction. Can't say I b lame you, quite a lot of inductions seem to end in C/S anyway, certainly increases the risk of intervention. My dr hasn't mentioned induction lately, she was talking about it at dead on 40 wks (2 wks on Sunday! Eeek!). My bp is holding very steady at about 130/80 which is great, so I'm hoping it may not come to induction.

Hope you guys enjoy your meet up this w/end

Anna, what's your due date again? Hope you're feeling ok.

I'm feeling fine, apart from just being a bit tired and uncomfortable. I'm due 4th Nov, which is 2 weeks on Sunday! Can't believe it's so soon. People keep saying "Ooh, you must be wishing it was all over" but I dont' really feel that bad. No other kids and no work so it's a pretty easy life at the mo!

Mind you, we did just get chatting to a woman down at the beach, there with her 7 month old who insisted on telling me all about how unbelievably painful her induction was and what unbearable agony she was in etc etc - I got all the gory details. I swear, I am NEVER going to say things like this to heavily pregnant first time mums in the future!

I know what you mean. Its kind of pointless anyway, because you just don't know whats going to happen. But going into it feeling scared and nervous is just the worst. You need to feel like you have a chance of it being a good experience. And it might be!
I really hope you enjoy your last few days. I remember that being a really special time with my partner before it all got chaotic!

Thanks guys! Yes I too have heard all the stories about induction which sway me to a preference for C-section. But actually only know 1 close friend who had was induced and with her it just failed to work completely to in the end was pretty much like elective c-section anyway. So not a horror story as such, just a reality check that the drugs they use to induce are about 50% effective (that's the stat she quoted to me anyway). Mind you she was being induced at 35 weeks due to very low levels of amniotic fluid (ironically!)so that might have had something to do with it.

Anna, my birthday is 3 Nov!! Glad to hear the BP is under control.
Shells, am thinking somewhere between 1-8 Dec now so very close to you

Am reassured that baby is already almost 4lb (bang on average for dates) so with another 6-8 weeks should be quite a decent size at least 6lb anyway.

Ha haaaa (hollow laughter) at the idea of a nice quiet time with my dh. We have 2 house guests, one has just gotr back from a few months in Europe and the other has just emigrated here. The first has been here nearly 6 weeks now anbd the second nearly two! They are both really nice guys and ordinarily I would not mind them staying as long as they needed but I am now thinking "I NEED MY HOUSE BACK". They are both male, single and childless and clearly have no idea what it feels like to be 37 wks pg and really want the house to myself and dh!

We have dropped hints and DH has now come straight out and told them they need to find somewhere to live SOON. They are trying really hard now and looking for flats every evening, hopefully they will have found somewhere by this w/end. The one who's been here 6 weeks is a really good friend and not hard to live with adn I feel a bit guilty, but the timing is just awful! I was really looking forward to these last few wks of just me and DH and instead I've got these people staying here adn saying stuff like "Oh, are you due in 3 weeks? I thought it was at least 5!". I really don't want my early stages of labour to be a spectator sport!"

Oops, bit of a rant there. I'm normally a pretty tolerant person but I think 8 months pg is when you're allowed to be a little intolerant!

X-posted there buzzybee. I have heard some OK stories about inductions (I did a big search on MN as soon as my dr mentioned the possibility to me) so it may not be that bad - I just know it increases the rate of intervention etc. I just have this feeling if the body's not ready to go into labour it's likely to make things more complicated. I've been readign all that stuff about encouraging the baby to get into position etc - suppose I'd better go and bounce on that exercise ball I got off Trade Me. (Trademe is so fab. I got a nearly new Baby Bjorn frontpack carrier thingy today for 30 bucks - think they're about 150 new!)

Anna - I hear you about the house guests. My tolerance levels are VERY low for visitors right now, let alone people staying. Think you are perfectly within your rights to feel a bit selfish. I'm sure its part of the nesting thing.
And trade me - yes, its great isn't it. A friend lent me this thing called a 'tummy tub' which is basically a bucket shaped bath. $60 new in the shops (shock!) and of course DS1 has broken it by using it as an astronauts helmet. Was feeling sick at the thought of having to buy another new one, but thankfully have got one for $35 on trade me. Phew.

Anna - OMG I could NOT cope with houseguests at the moment. By the end of the day I feel like a balloon about ready to pop and the only thing I can do is lie on the sofa.

Just came on the post that early bird discount fares to London have just been released for travel after 1 March 08 if you're interested. I'm now looking into going in time for the UK school hols so that I can stay with brother and wife and kids (who are happy to have us in school hols but not so keen when their kids will be in school - aged 6&8). Which probably means leaving around 4 April - which happens to be my DD's birthday - she might be getting tickets to HK Disneyland as a pressie!! For me plus DD (age 6 then) plus infant is about $4500 incl taxes. DD is 75% of adult fare and infant about $300 all up. I think adult is approx $2400 inc taxes if you work that back!

yay, the houseguests are going! they've found a flat! they're moving on saturday! [huge relief emoticon) We get the house back to ourselves, for 2 weeks anyway, till the baby arrives.. One of them cooked us all tea last night - very sweet- I then went to bed early - got up this morning to find every surface in the kitchen still covered in pots, pans, plates with cold greasy food all over them, beer bottles etc etc etc - grrrr - not so sweet!

I haven't looked any more into flying back to UK lately - all i seem to be able to focus on is this whole getting the baby out business. Am trying to get myself organised to get Christmas pressies organised before the baby arrives

Oh phew Anna, so glad they've found somewhere else. It sounds awful to have people in the house so close to your due date! I'm sure Shells is right about it being a nesting thing.

To the Wellingtonians (sorry you can't join us, Anna): I'm going to put a thread up in meetups, just in case the others are around and haven't see this.

Could one of you CAT me so I can give contact details? Just in case we need to make last-minute changes of plan.

Hi Welliemum,
I don't think I'm set up to CAT. Do you have to pay a fee? I will email Buzzybee my mobile. Have you got her contact?

I think you do have to pay to CAT. Never mind, I'm sure we can do this another way.

I don't have an email/phone no. for buzzy - maybe you could email me on [email protected]?

hello all, I just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm still around. Buzzybee glad to see you're well and I peep onto this thread from time to time to check out how your doing, not really feeling strong enough to do a meet up just yet, I'm sure you'll understand but would love to later on, guess I just wanted to send my best wishes to you all x

Hi Kjaysmum, thanks for that - I was a bit worried you might not have seen that we were planning to meet up.

Take care, and we'll look forward to seeing you another time.

Hi Kjaysmum. Completely understand and hope we can hook up again some time - maybe after Xmas? Hope you had a lovely trip back to the UK.

Lovely to see you again today Welliemum and to finally meet you Shells. Shame it was so windy - roll on January!

Shells, this is the latest December thread and even today I see a new person joined (piglet). www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2290/407328?ts=1192849828352

I'm actually looking forward to the equivalent post-natal thread!!