March 2016 babies! The (hopefully) graduation thread!

[hayleycookie]

We reached 999 posts without making a new thread - woops!

Park your bums and continue the newborn chitter, and due date whinges

I survived the day! Pretty sure I had a couple of contractions in the morning, but nothing else. I got that super-fuzzy introspective feeling too. It passed.

magpie, I'm not exactly 'standing' at the front of the class, more like sitting and pointing and getting the kids to do the leg work as much as I can!

Thanks vroc & marmite, feeling pretty rubbish, but surviving. I now have a collection of coldsores around my nose. Nice.

Sympathy for your DDs behaviour, Charley. My DS has been like that before, I don't know how I'd have coped pregnant (I didn't cope with it particularly well anyway!).

No update from ffaux & me? Hope they've got babies by now.

time Calais is beautiful, still can't get my head around how teeny baby's are!

charley your dd will be fine, bet she doesn't even remember already.

indom well done for making it through today, bubble bath and early night should be on the cards for you me thinks!

40+5 today, due to be induced Thursday. Just been for a wee and the tissue was pinky when I wiped, no mucus though just pinky - is this the beginning of a show or should I call midwives? Got my head in a panic about placental abruption and stuff now

Could be a show, Q.

While its pinky, I wouldn't worry. Just watch & wait. If it gets more definitely blood-like, definitely call.

I've just had some 'green snot'. Did I say I had some on Saturday night?

Tonight would be a good night for it to happen - SIL is staying! (And I've left notes for my lessons tomorrow just in case!)

Oh blessed blessed epidural, thank you for being the best invention ever

No baby yet, it's been pretty horrendous tbh but trying to get some rest now, so hopefully more news later tonight. Too exhausted to read everyone's updates right but but will catch up when I can. Thanks for the handholding everyone :) hope you're all doing okay

Agree with indom's advice q.

ffaux I'm glad you have a good epidural on board. I had an epidural with my first when I was induced - very civilised, just dozed and did the crossword then was told I was fully and cracked on pushing, baby soon after! Hoping your experience is similar! Get some rest while you can.

Getting lots of cramping and lower back pain this evening plus a few irregular contractions.

Could really do with baby coming tonight actually as dh has just breezily informed me that the childcare provision I thought we had in place for ds when I go into labour is no longer possible and the new plan is to 'improvise on the day' . He can't understand why I am feeling a bit stressed out over this new arrangement...

Brilliant news ffaux, 'enjoy' whilst you can, your baby will soon be ready for snuggles!!

Pleased your sounding/feeling better time, im seeing the midwife again tomorrow to get Bertie weighed so I couldn't yet tell you if I'm doing things right but basically when he's finished or I assume he's full he will just clamp his mouth shut. Until that point if I take him away from the breast, to wind for example he will continue to be routing, opening his mouth wide and will be waiting for another top up.

Hope the shows result in the start of things Indom & Q...wishing you the best!!

On the subject of feeding can I ask what people are wearing if breastfeeding please?! I'm struggling to find any tops that I actually like and allow me to bf modestly. I'm living in leggings/jeggings with a longline vest top underneath a baggier top/shirt but am sick of the 2 or 3 I have, tried popping to get done new ones today but totally failed?! Don't want to spend a fortune, and still want to feel a bit like me rather than a frumpy mum...but lacking inspiration!?

Good luck ffaux. I had an epidural at a late stage after a gruelling first stage of labour and it was the most blessed relief. I had been totally wild eyed and out of it before then. Wish I'd had it earlier only DS tricked us all into thinking he was coming out fast (went from 2cm to 9cm within the space of about 90 minutes) and then got stuck and refused to budge while I contracted painfully for the next 6 hours or so!

Time I've been suffering from a lot of anxiety too. It changes from day to day what I worry about! DS is now formula fed (gave up breastfeeding on about day 9/10 and I'm so much better for it, it was making us both miserable) and so I'm not so worried about whether he is getting enough milk. Although he does still vomit up the odd feed (he's just done that now).

However we have still barely ventured out of the house and now my worries are more about practicalities such as how to prepare feeds for when we're out. DH goes back to work in a couple of days and he has been doing so much, I'm absolutely dreading having to do it all alone. He is probably looking forward to it - he has been finding it difficult to deal with my anxiety.

DS has slept for virtually the entire day today so I'm preparing myself for a very long night ahead! He is definitely a nocturnal little being right now!

I'm in hospital. Laboured all day but no progress at all as lo is back to back. Just had an epidural put in and it's total bliss. Ffaux, to you.

Oops, sorry, I said me earlier when I meant maybe.

poppins, are you on Facebook? Look for a group called "can I breastfeed in it? Uk". It's just tonnes of people posting clothes they've found that are bf-friendly. Last time I pretty much lived in long vests and baggier tops over, I'd like to be a bit more imaginative this time (but think those will still be my staples).

Ahh, maybe, so glad you're in and epiduraled-up! You must feel so much better!

q you may want to pop on a pad and monitor things - when my waters went (with lots of gushing, so there was no mistaking them!), they were pinky. Quite clearly waters, as they are much more watery than discharge.

ff so pleased you are now pain free. When I was induced with the drip last time, I had an epidural and it was amazing! Reading mags whilst I was dilating. Hope you can get some rest now x

poppins there's a great Facebook group called Can I feed in it UK. Lots of great ideas for clothes to boob in. I've bought a denim pinnie from New Look that I saw on there for when I've had the baby and some of the tummy had gone down.

me sorry about the anxiety. As I said up thread, last time I was shitting myself when DH went back to work last time and am sure I will be again!

charley we're having difficult nappy changes too. DD is awful whenever I try and I can't physically manoeuvre her, being so pregnant at the mo. Nappy changes currently involve lots of bribery with videos on my phone etc.

tri and indom time to get out the werthers?!

Oops x post suz!

maybe good luck lovely. Pleased you've got some relief too.

Thanks for the advice all, seeing how things go tonight.
Just had a proper row with dp though - hidden away in the bathroom now. Mil has been round this evening and as she left she said to dp to let her know when we home from hospital as she will be straight round (loves 5 mins away) at this point I actually said no I'm going to want at least a few hours to ourselves first and she tough I'm coming straight over - and dp wants her here too! I'm fuming, I'm going to be a hormonal mess, I'm going to want a bath, maybe be exhausted, want to try establish feeding etc. He says I'm not normal and people want to show off their baby and want the support of mums and seeing as I don't speak to mine then his will have to come! Argh so mad!

Sorry, being a set indulgent cow mess, I'll read through properly now and catch up with you all!

Me the way you are supposed to make up feeds when out an about is (if you can't get fresh boiling water) to take a flask and use the hot to sterilise the powder and add cold to top up. I don't do this. I boil the kettle and fill the bottles; put bottles of water in bag. Then take the powder in a separate container ( you can buy powder pots) and add when needed. This however means that the powder isn't sterilised. So is not officially recommended but I made virtually all of DS1's feeds this way before Perfect Prep was invented.

Glad you have epidurals now ffaux and maybe.

Good luck to everyone else still waiting.

Q, I'm with you there.
I'd have been happy to have my mum around straight away with DS, but she was much better behaved than that! She came over (3 hour drive!) as soon as we gave the word & fed the cat, tidied up and then came for a cuddle at the hospital (so was restricted by visiting hours) while DH went home for a shower and a snooze, and then pootled off home again! Completely helpful, she got first cuddles and we were left to our own devices after that.

Would suggesting a brief hospital visit suit you and keep MIL happy?

Nothing exciting happening here. Bit twingy, but that's become the new normal as having a 8lb baby in your pelvis would be.

Twingy? Twingey? What is the right spelling?

Is it just me, or does anyone else think husbands could be more appreciative and sympathetic when we are battling with the last week or two of pregnancy. This on top of still working full time (until the end of this week), doing all the childcare for DS and being expected to do all the housework too. :-( I try to explain I'm exhausted and sick with reflux and my flipping belly doesn't fit on my body any more. He's just so dismissive and horrible, like I'm some lazy mare just whining on about nothing. Sick of it. :-(

Thank you so much for the FB suggestion, I'll have a nosey, sounds just what I need crispy & suz.
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Q,* I'm completely with you. When I had Dd1 my DP Father flew back from Malta and announced to his family if anyone wanted to see him to come to out house. So on our 1st day home we had 15 visitors. Completely ruined it for me so I put my foot down this time. We had our Dd to collect from her Aunts where all of DPs family were for a get together, so en route home from hospital we popped there, all of the immediate family got to meet DS but we left when I'd had enough after 20 mins, and no one was able to overstay their welcome at mine, I didn't have to be hostess at all and best of all it meant we were left alone the following day as they'd all had their nosey. But only do what your comfortable with...your DH will probably realise the error of his judgment once baby is here and reality hits home.

Starting to be convinced that I should just go and join the April thread! Walking disturbingly comfortably for 39+ weeks and have a crazy amount of energy today.

cucumber* I totally understand the MIL situation! Stand by your guns. If there's one thing I learnt from last time is that you have to stick up for what you want/need - both for you and baby. Even if it hacks them off a little at the time, they'll get over it quickly. You only get one shot at this time with your new baby and establishing feeding is not easy under the microscope of visitors.

Right - apologies for the rant, it appears to have calmed me though

ffaux and maybe your epidurals sounds like heaven, good luck to you both!

Fingers crossed for you too trinpy

Thanks for the advice indom both with the pinkyness and about dp. He really is just a tool sometimes, he has now agreed to not ring her until we have been home a few hours so I can have the time to just get my gear around things. Why he couldn't understand that I have no idea?!

mondino I don't think anyone would hold it against us if went on strike and confined our men to the sofa for the night!

Oh popping visiting them would be perfect, sadly all of dp's family live within a 10 minute drive and his mum is just so full on that she would probably follow us home too! She's already not happy that I want to breastfeed and she wants to be able to feed the baby too

tri oh no - maybe you'll have a shock delivery like that discussed above, your lovely strong muscles will just push baby out with no effort (optimism is key haha)

Eugh I definitely understand the mil problem!! With ds1 pil came to visit (live 3 hours away) they had a hotel booked but they turned up and stayed all bloody day while I made them cups of tea, lunch etc, then they announced they wanted kfc. I was pleased they were leaving to eat, but instead they sent dh out to buy it and ate it at ours. They were here for 3 days!!

This time they are coming to visit but staying with my parents so we will go to them rather than them coming to us.

Glad you both got epidurals and have the pain under control maybe and ffaux.

Q Sounds like your mil needs to calm down a bit and remember what it feels like to have just given birth i.e. completely draining and emotional. I hope after your dh has had time to think it through he'll realise how silly he's being. Indom's idea of a quick hospital visit sounds good, but don't feel like you have to commit to any plans at this point.

Indom twingey sounds promising. Though I'm not sure whether you want to be up all night in labour after a full day at work and when you're ill (otoh you'd have the perfect excuse not to go in tomorrow)!

Still getting irregular contractions here. They're getting more painful but no closer together. BabyTrin seems unbothered and is hiccuping away in there.