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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Anyone due in April 2004?!

929 replies

dot1 · 28/07/2003 12:45

Hello!

I found out last week I was pregnant, and although I've not been to my GP yet, various websites and Miriam Stoppard have told me I'm due on March 31st/April 1st! (poor little april fools baby - let's hope it's late...).

I know it's early days, but wanted to start this thread as I've already got lots of questions - like, is anyone else having quite bad pains? I've been getting bad period-type pains, which have been worrying me, but I understand people do get (this is my first pregnancy by the way!).

Right, that's it - hope I get some company soon..!

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dolbear · 12/02/2004 00:58

Hello , new one here , am looking for poitive motivation ! m/wives have been nightmare and am feeling v low on the whole thing ! ( 1st baby ) have been seen by 6 diff peeps so far and counting !

handlemecarefully · 12/02/2004 08:42

Fennel - strengthen the uterus, make the contractions more effective etc

Welcome dolbear - you were up late last night - get some rest! Sorry to hear you've been feeling low, not uncommon in pregnancy though... When is your due date?

Fennel · 12/02/2004 09:24

Hello dolbear

I've been having problems with midwives too (though now they've agreed to visit me at home as their clinic times are so impossible). is it just they're too busy and not giving a very personal level of care?

My uterus needs all the help it can get, will get going on the raspberry leaves!

Original poster
dot1 · 12/02/2004 09:29

Well here's an uplifting positive birth story to give us all hope..! Our good friend phoned us at 8.45pm last night to let us know she'd just gone into labour (with baby no. 2 - was due next week). While she was on the phone she had a couple of contractions - no bother really - v. short and she could talk through them. Her Mum was coming to look after dd within the hour and then they were going to go to hospital.

Her dh phoned us this morning to say she had her baby ds 30 minutes after she phoned us - on the floor at home!!! Apparently she just felt the need to push and out he came! They're all well and she has a lovely little boy - I think 6lb 5oz!!

So, pain free and quick - and she doesn't like hospitals so it must have been fate..!

Am going to keep this in my mind for the next few weeks!

Hi Dolbear - sorry you're feeling down - but I'm an expert in being miserable (usually - today's an exception!) so feel free to moan..! I've seen a different midwife each time at St. Mary's, but they've been OK - except the last one who was a bit dippy and wrote out the wrong blood tests - I spotted it and got the dr. to change it! Hope you're OK - where are you having your baby?

OP posts:
handlemecarefully · 12/02/2004 09:39

Flippin 'eck Dot - I want that labour! Was your friend's first labour equally as quick and easy as this second one...or were they very different experiences? (I ask because I have a couple of friends who has really quick second labours of 3-4 hours...but then, their first labours were quite speedy too)

Fennel · 12/02/2004 09:41

Lovely birth story, I want one like that!

been trying to trawl back through this thread to see what people say on heartburn, I am getting it badly now, not something I've had before. I have gaviscon lemon flavoured tablets they make me feel really sick. like chewing toilet cleaner. is there something better?
also getting cramps lots, I guess this is really the 3rd trimester now.

Lesley76 · 12/02/2004 09:57

Many congrats to your friend Dot!

Fennel - I prefer the Gaviscon liquid. The mint tastes like liquid toothpaste but you can get aniseed or lemon. At least you can swallow it quickly and get the nasty taste out your mouth, unlike with the tablets. If you can be bothered, you can get your midwife or dr to write you a prescription as its quite expensive to buy - about £3 something for a tiny bottle ( i'm on two a week!!!).

Re midwives - I've never seen the same one twice either - so much for continuity of care!! But then I've only been to the ANC 3 times and only have one more appointment scheduled before i explode I mean deliver, so maybe its not surprising....

Original poster
dot1 · 12/02/2004 09:59

Fennel - if your heartburn's really bad and Gaviscon isn't doing the trick, I'd recommend asking at your next ante natal for a prescription for Zantac - it's fantastic! I was tearing my hair out a few weeks ago - the Gaviscon wasn't lasting any more than an hour and nights were awful. Zantac isn't one of the recommended/tested drugs for pregnant women, but as my midwife said, it's what they give you when you're in hospital in labour and need something, and I know other Mumsnetters who have been suffering have had it and swear by it. You take 2 tablets a day and they pretty much cover all day and night - the relief is wonderful! Really helped lift my spirits which at that time were v. low mainly because I was so uncomfortable with the heartburn all the time..!

My friend's first labour was more standard - I think about 12 hours and I think forceps delivery - she at least had time to get an epidural in!

OP posts:
Lesley76 · 12/02/2004 10:11

Oh Dot, don't destroy all my hope! That's no consolation at all for us first timers!!!

Original poster
dot1 · 12/02/2004 10:30

aah - that's true - but it's still good for the old positive thinking - it can happen, and could possibly happen for the first one aswell?!! It was v. funny on the phone to her last night - as she was having a contraction I started doing some NCT breathing with her (sigh out slowly!) and she said "good job one of us has gone to some classes", as she'd never been to any with either this pregnancy or dd! Glad I could be of some use..!

OP posts:
Lesley76 · 12/02/2004 10:40

Dot, can I call you when I go into labour??? No NCT classes here...

Must go and take DD2 to doctors and stop **ing about on the internet!!!!

Fennel · 12/02/2004 16:13

thanks for the heartburn advice will try out the suggestions.

dolbear · 12/02/2004 19:35

Thank you for al your kind words of welcome , made me smile already , I am due 16/04 , at local hopital , v good scbu my prob seems to be I am too healthy , I have no 'complaints ' everytime I try to discus any worries etc , the answer always is 'but u r ok are'nt u? , as if that is the be all and end all ! i am not allowed to have concerns or be nervous ! they want to tick the boxes , Bp / heartbeat/ sample/ - 5 mins off u go ! its pants yep so much for continuality of care , your midwife is your best friend in pg etc , i just wish that the pr was more honest !

hewlettsdaughter · 12/02/2004 20:06

Hi dolbear, know what you mean about the antenatal appointments. The midwives seem to have so much paperwork etc to get through, and you don't always feel like they've had time to listen to you properly, do you. Mind you, my GP visits are always like that too...
For all you first-timers, it is possible to have a quick first birth! I did.
Fennel - I don't think you want to start raspberry leaf tea too soon in case it brings on contractions before you want them.

Fennel · 13/02/2004 07:32

Dolbear I know exactly what you mean, I wanted to discuss having a home birth with my midwife and my worries about birth but they just ticked the home birth box and that was it.

Can you go to ante=natal classes there is more time to talk there? Both to midwives (if they're midwife run classes) and to other women? I found (and still find) them really good for just talking. and the midwives have more time there.

udar · 13/02/2004 13:11

Wow so much chat while I've been in bed with flu. Welcome dolbear - the site is wonderful at calming worries and venting issues, it'll make you feel better in no time.

Had our last antenatal appt on Wed. They were really good (midwife run) agree with Fennel about having more chance to talk. We went to the hospital run ones and the 2 midwives actually do shifts so I'm hoping that one of them will end up being my midwife as all my other appointments I have seen a different one at the hospital.

My irk today is pain - i've had terrible back pain but have now started (every now and again with no pattern) getting pain in the front of my hips. Sort of feels like a strained groin muscle and makes me limp. It has been mainly on the right but can also be on the left. Hoping it is nerve related and not spd...what does that feel like?

Apart from the back and hips and very movy baby all OK, although I'm starting to crave more of the foods I'm not supposed to have now which is getting difficult...only 7wks till due date.

I'm going to start one cup a day rasberry leaf tea at 34 wks but there are a couple of threads on it if you do a search...sorry can't do links.

dolbear · 14/02/2004 10:18

Udar , sorry to hear you had the flu ! sneezing bit strange with a bump !

went to 1st class/lecture on Tuesday , mmmm , my hubby left feeling better ! no time for chat though as was 'lesson ' was doing fine untill the baby doll they were using to demonstrate with kept getting stuck in the pelvis ' cos it was too big ! , had to laugh

Rasberry tea , read that it helped , went out bought it , drank it , then read was not supposed to yet ! ( 29/30 weeks ) eeek ! tastes nice though !

hewlettsdaughter · 14/02/2004 12:58

LOL re the doll getting stuck in the pelvis . Sorry you've been suffering, udar. Fennel, I am planning a homebirth too - and wondering when the midwives are going to discuss it in more detail with me (next appt is at 34 weeks). I resurrected the homebirth thread recently.

bluecow · 14/02/2004 20:41

Hi all. Here I am for my once a week visit only to this thread (big withdrawal symptoms!). I miss work only cos I could get on mumsnet more often druing my lunchhours! Well, the house extension ISN'T happening still so I am at the parents during the week (with no Net access). The brickie working on our house was sacked so nothing has happened for a week. Aaagh. I have told hubby if it isn't done by the time baby arrives I am booking into a hotel as I am not having the baby breathing brick dust. I'm almost serious too...!

Ref things for heartburn other than Gaviscon etc I've just discvered Rennie soft mint chews (safe in prehnanacy according the packet). They are yummy and just like sweets!

On the raspberry leaf debate, I took tablets (no yukky) taste in the two weeks before ds was due in 2002 and he arrived on his due date. Sure they helped.

And on the SIDS thing, when my son was born the MIDWIFE told us to have him in bed with us for the first six weeks.... We did too and it was lovely. We kept a night light on and we have a big bed so he had lots of room. However this time round I think we are generally more knackered so baby will go in the cot. She'll be in our room though because a/ I want her to be near and b/ her room is yet to be built (we are renovating house as well as having extension built).

Dot - sorry to hear about your house probs. Bummer. Keep your chin up.

I don't feel as bonded with my bump as perhaps I did with ds but that's probably more to do with being busy with my son and having less time to think about being up the duff!

Fennel · 15/02/2004 12:33

Hi Bluecow, I like the idea of nice-tasting heartburn remedies.

Definitely you should worry about brick dust with a newborn, far more important than whether the baby sleeps in its own room or cot.

I like the idea of the large doll in antenatal classes getting stuck in the pelvis - totally realistic for me! Our antenatal classes demonstrated with a 5lb doll and a 7lb "large" doll, both whirled merrily around the pelvis as though descending a helter-skelter. Neither prepared me for my 9lb dd1.

Metrobaby · 16/02/2004 15:17

Hi everyone. I'm soooooo tired these days. I can't wait to go on ML but it seems ages off. Funny how I get more tired at work than when I am at home.

HD - thanks for the home birth link. I started to read some of the stories on there and they were inspirational. I'm a bit undecided about a home birth so will have to read the rest. I like the idea of being at home though and not being left in the hospital.

Metrobaby · 16/02/2004 15:22

I meant to ask everyone who has dds or dds, what they are going to do with them when they go into labour .....

I had a massive strop with my parents over the weekend as they announced that they were going on holiday 2 wks before my due date for 8 days. They would be looking after my dd when I go into labour, so I thought they were cutting it a bit fine to say the least. When I raised my concerns my parents actually suggested that I bring dd into the labour ward with me, or alternatively go in on my own as that is what my Mum did all those many years ago when she had my sis and I !! Thankfully I have now sorted someone else to be on call as it were.

handlemecarefully · 16/02/2004 15:27

Yes mine said - well your mother was in labour ward on her own whilst I looked after your older brother and sister. However despite this highly informed and right on comment, my mum will be coming down to help with dd. She's coming down on my due date (which might mean hanging about for up to 10 days if I am overdue), and if I am early ...well, I must sort this out. Will be asking friends to help

Metrobaby · 16/02/2004 15:34

I must apologise I sound a bit spoilt in my last posting

handlemecarefully · 16/02/2004 15:37

You didn't sound spoilt at all!