Sept 08- The threenagers have arrived - Advanced negotiating and crowd control skills required

[DebiTheScot]

Sorry Meglet if you wanted to start the thread with your title but I thought I'd best do it while there was still one space to post the link to this one on the last one.

What meg said.....come on!!!....more babies!!!

Bloods and urine all fine, so no induction this week!
Though I'm full term today (37wks) and wouldn't be surprised if something happened in the next couple weeks - there's a head well wodged in my pelvis!

Hurrah for clear bloods and urine NC.

I would have more babies if they came with the ability to sleep from 7-7 every night from day 1. I hate pregnancy (but can put up with it), I would love to give birth again, and I love babies and children, but I just can't do the sleep deprivation. It zaps the life out of me.

Arrggh... spoke too soon. Apparently the second tests they did on the urine show protein so I have to trot off to hospital again tomorrow...
Just hope they take bp before making me wait an hour having shoved a wrapper round my notes that say "patient is deaf, needs to be fetched not just name called", so apparently someone called for me three times and decided I must have gone missing...
Though bp was still low compared to most people, just more than 40/20 higher than prev tests when it's been very low...

NC It doesnt state you are deaf on your medical notes???? Dont know why i am surprised, last time i was in hospital they wanted to give me penecillin...shame I am allergic and it is written all over my notes

Hope they dont keep you waiting till long x

On third coat of paint on conservatory but hopefully this wil be the last one(?)....promised ds1 I would bake some cookies (why, why??) so must crack on.......

Fingers crossed NC that you'll either go into labour naturally or if you need to be induced your body will respond well to it and it'll be like a normal birth.

I agree with you ILTMIMI although I liked pregnancy but not so keen on the birth bit. And my hips are buggered enough apparently, don't want to make them worse.

Oh it states all over my MW med notes, in red ink on every page a new person might look at, and there's a big post-it on the front cover for receptionist types.
Ditto the other sheaf of hospital notes.

Only it turns out when you see an antenatal consultant, they pick up all your piles of notes and put them into a coloured card cover, the colour indicating which consultant should read them. Someone had even made a nice 'DEAF' bookmark, which was a good idea - which someone else had pushed inside the file so it all looked neat. Let's just say that that wallet now has marker pen all over the front - so will be fine if I see the same consultant.

If there's any further problem then I will tick the 'terp required' box and get a hideously-expensive speech-to-text terp there, don't you worry!

But suspect my 1-page birth plan (aka the useful info on one page) will be even more vital than last time when new consultants were coming in and being told 'just read this, it's much better than the notes'!
(yes, it includes 'I am ALLERGIC to X and Y and not allowed PETHIDINE as agreed by anaesthetist last time')

Just had a snooze at least but this wasn't quite the relaxing day we had in mind for me, ditto tomorrow. But lovely neighbour did come round with car seat today.

Update from yesterday's panicking: MrNC and I found the TENS and lots of other baby stuff, have packed my hosp bag etc.

Consultant today basically said my bp is exemplary, they just need to see if I have a mild UTI, but as long as I get weekly bp and urine tests (which my GP's nurse has agreed to do), then I'm released from their care until the 20th (40+1) when they may think about induction but probably just more monitoring.

Phew!

And yet more folders have Deaf/SPD/Allergic to XYZ etc on the front. Consultant also told me which bits of notes to cross out with arrows to where I need to staple in vital letters, in particular the one saying no I don't need a neonatologist, which needs highlighter on that para. Nothing like low-tech solutions!

Though rather hope to give birth earlier, as couldn't walk to nursery today. Luckily some of the nursery staff are up for the idea of extra money for collecting ds in the mornings - some park almost as far as my house anyway!

So, how is everyone else? Suspect as I can't walk much will be online a lot for the next few weeks...

Good news nc!!

bookmarking.

Pleased things have settled down nc..

nc good to hear consultant is being sensible.
I am 29 weeks today. Had a physio class which had some useful tips for sitting and sleeping. But other than pelvic floors I can't do any of the other exercises they demonstrated as my pain is genuine spd rather than sacroiliac.

The entire house is covered in a fine layer of dust from the decorator sanding all the woodwork for repainting using a bloody electric sander. Would complain but he's my sisters DP and is doing us a really good price. DH is currently on damage limitation and ds is 'helping' when he really should be in bed.

Thanks for all the bathing tips. I have another question. Ds currently comes into our bed once a night - maybe once or twice a month he'll sleep through but those aren't happening as often as I'd like. I'm not that fussed about him coming in - just worried about what will happen when baby turns up. He could potentially still fit in the bed if baby goes in sidecar cot - but not if baby wants to co-sleep right next to me. I guess we'll figure it out but just wondered if anyone had similar and what happened.

Yeah, had similar...its not easy feeding a baby with another dc in the bed too but it can be done!

I felt very strongly that ds1 should have still been able to come into our bed after Toby arrived...he always had and I didnt want him to feel pushed out.

Dh sometimes went into ds1's (double) bed at night and I slept with ds1 and Toby was in his cot.

HTH

Just seen this on line, thought it might amuse!

Robyn still gets in with us several times a week, as does Lucy. Most nights it is fine but if the are both in DP tends to sleep elsewhere. A double bed is just big enough for 2 adults and a toddler and a newborn, it is when there are 2 toddlers it gets crowded.

Robyn is off nursery again, she has been a bit rough these last few days and has a temperature so we thought it best to have an extra day at home. She has discovered the Simpsons and watched it almost all day yesterday.

Toby starts pre school after half term

wheeze, gasp, puff.....

Thanks!

Thanks ladies - I think you're right re: letting ds come in with us when he wants and dh moving to his bed on the occasion it gets too cramped. Hopefully he'll start realising his own bed is much comfier with more room.

bec is his pre-school a three hour session? Ds does three hours a day except Mondays when he's at the childminders. He actually prefers pre-school, am sure Toby will love it and you'll love having those few hours to yourself!

Bad news today - dh's business is doing badly and he'll not be paying himself for the next couple of months unless more work comes in soon. Really shit timing as I'm supposed to be finishing work in March and I only get maternity allowance. Have saved up to pay for my share of the bills for ten months. But if we haven't got another income that money won't last longer than 4-5 months which means I might have to go back to work when the baby is 4 months old.

oh Digi, I'm sorry to hear about dh's work. What crappy timing for you all. I sincerely hope things improve for the business. Try and stay positive and have hope that things will pick up.

Just remember Bec, things may be different at pre school this time, and if it's not, then you stop and try again later.

Digi I am so sorry to hear that. Times are really tough atm. DP is also self employed and he is currently in Amsterdam learning about a competely new area of his market to bring in more cash. He's been in high end audio (top wack speakers etc) and is now branching into custom installation of tvs etc. I'm lucky that i get pretty fair maternity pay and we have saved cash for it as from 26 weeks I am on smp, but it's now the childcare costs we're saving hard for. Sometimes it never rains but it pours. The fee back from our IM would be very handy now!

As to co-sleeping, I'm with the others - DP goes into DD's bed if he has an early start and she sleeps with me. She's old enough now to 'spoon' at night and doesn't wake even if DS screams!

DD is in nursery 3 days a week and I'm torn. She loves it but I miss her very much and feel guilty that I'm at home when she could be with me atm.

Right, must go to bed. DS will no doubt be up at around 4am.

I'm not having anymore children btw. I loved being pg, felt empowered by labour and wished I'd managed a natural birth. I feel very sad I will never know what it feels like but I could not go through the relationship with hcps again and wouldn't risk an unassisted birth after 2 sections (but completely empathise with those that do). Also, I'm with ILTMIMI, I am sooo crap at newborn sleep deprevation. I'm almost wishing DS's early weeks away so we can wean and move towards more sleep. DD slept through from 5 days so I am new to all this!

digi Thats crap. so sorry

thanks ladies - had a bit of a cry about it last night. Just it's been so so hard to get to this point, that to then have to up and leave this very very much fought for baby seems unfair. But I realise I'm luckier than some. I get Maternity Allowance - no SMP - so I only get £123 a week from the start. I was hoping to get the 6 weeks at 90% but because I pay my own tax the employer I work for has managed to dodge that one. It's a difference of £3k which would have been so so useful at this point. But there you go.

MrsA this situation has also made me think that this may be my last. Quite sad about that too. Probably won't be so sad about it once the sleep deprivation hits and I too will be wishing those weeks away!

bookmarking NC sounds tough

Evening. Well for 2 nights now my gorgeous 8 week old DS has slept 7.30pm till 7am. Can it last?! Bloody hope so!

Another 'positive' (for me anyway) is that whilst waiting for my notes from the hospital, DP and I had a long chat and we both agree I was never asked for consent to the c-section. Even in a dire emergency they must ask for consent unless I was unconcious. I've taken advice and it appears I have grounds to sue the hospital for assault and mental distress.

My question today is : DD's behaviour is getting worse but sadly only when DP is around. He does not do kind and fair, more strict 1950s dad. Sigh. Her latest is to scream at DS when he's just gone to sleep. Now normally I'd take DS away and make a fuss of him and ignore her but when he's just gone down it's hard and she just laughs and runs away. Any tips?? Any ideas as to how to get DP to back off a bit? She needs discipline but also kindness. He gets all angry shouty and 'I'm sick of this behaviour'! sort of comments. I just feel like I'm referee every night. He'd never hurt her, I know this, but he gets so cross with her that she stops listening.