The Berry-Copter!!! (Early 2015 edition)

[FeatherFeather11]

Here we go! Here's to a big Berrie clusterdiff from the other thread and many a safe and healthy baby Berrie arrival in 2015!

jellie I understand how worrying bleeding can be, I had bleeding in week 5 and 9 of my pregnancy, both times just 2 days, starting of reddish turning brown (sorry if tmi). When i phoned my gp, his view was that as long as there was no cramping or lots of bleeding - it's normal and happens to lots of women. It's great that you are having a scan today and you'll find out more and be reassured. Keeping everything crossed for you, please keep us posted.

lady thank you for the video and reassurance. To be honest, I am not worried about a cesarian, or not having a choice in how I give birth all I am worried about is this baby continuing to be ok and the fibroids not getting in the way of that. I only saw the registrar last time and might write to the consultant just to ask if they can point me in the direction of some more information especially statistics regarding the effect that fibroids usually have ( I have seen some data on c sections and pp heamorhaging but not about fibroids affecting baby growth in utero).
Is today your last day at work? How does it feel being on the home stretch now?

rp your walks with dodo sound magic and it's what I dream of doing in 5 months time. It sounds like you have settled into taking care of a newborn so well! Thank you also for the recommendation of Tommy's, I will look into it when I know more about the risks. And totally know the feeling about celebrating every stage - I've split the pregnancy into milestones in my mind (12 week scan, reaching second trimester, 5 months and 20 week scan, 24 weeks when baby can survive if born, etc)

pixie back pain - I know it well. I used a small pillow just under my knees which eased lower back pain if sleeping on your back and have now moved to Dreamgini (can get for £38 in john lewis/ amazon)- but this is more for keeping you sleeping on the side. Exercise has helped me most as well as not spending long periods of time sitting during the day (hard to do with an office job but a few stretches and walks did help). I am also thinking of adding a small pillow to my chair at work to support lower back.

bushy your love of fruit curd made me giggle, brilliant!

Midwife appointment was great, I asked her if she would not mind measuring me as I felt like my bump was very big and I measured a whopping 21 weeks (4 weeks ahead of schedule) so that explains it but the she listened to the heartbeat and it was just wonderful! Have you felt movement yet? Good luck with your scan next week.

I am off on a much needed break tomorrow - getting spoilt by a holiday on the beach, but will try to keep in touch.

Good luck jellie!! What time is your scan? to avoid me refreshing page every 15 mins
Thanks everyone for advice on pillows. I'm getting some lumber support ordered for work as spend lots of time at desk. We're going shopping at wknd so shall check out the options you've mentioned thanks. Tk maxx seems a steal!
Woo hoo we're at Friday! Must get back to work...

lady sorry for cross posting, can't believe you finished work - how exciting! Enjoy being a lady of leisure for a little while and definitely get someone else to clean those windows :-)

jellie any news yet?

hate waiting for scan results, love hearing berry good news, keeping everything crossed

Sorry for the wait ladies! We've been up in London for a Shellybrayshun dinner! And sorry for the pity me post earlier. Its twins! Both "perfect" apparently in dimension appearance and heartbeats! Not stopped grinning yet!

jellie that is just the best news!!!! I am so pleased for you and the 2 lovely little ones! Actually the little two's perhaps?

Oh - now I can stop checking manically, best end to the day! Congratulations!

Ahhhh!! jellie so excited & pleased for you. Just shouted out 'she's having twins!!' Brilliant news!!!

Just back from lovely Chinese with family. Duck pancake craving well & truly sated!! My brother was v curious about names etc. I don't know about the rest of you berries but I am a bit loathe to discuss our name choices in front of other people in case they rain all over our parade. I've been party to so many staff room conversations discussing other people's baby names & people being very opinionated. My theory is before you choose it they might slag the name off but can't once you've chosen it...well at least not to your face!!

Drove dh's new car & almost had a meltdown trying to park it in what actually turned out to be a huge space which I totally ballsed up. Ended up getting out of the car giving dh the keys. Dh is rather protective over his alloy wheels & I was v paranoid about scuffing them!! Also had a load of traffic by me whilst trying to park it. Hate that!!

Just spent ages writing a post only for it to disappear when I hit 'post'! Eek!

In summary:

jellie AMAZING news! Congratulations!!! Twins!

lady hoorah to finishing work. How are you feeling? Make sure you bank as much sleep as possible before your baby arrives. And if you happen to have any post-csection questions, I'm your woman! There's a lot they don't bloody tell you, but I'm assuming you're in the know because of your line of work...

bushy I so want duck pancakes now. drool. How are you doing?

pixie are you doing any pregnancy yoga? I found there were a couple of poses that really helped my back pain. Can explain to you in detail if you want...

All well here. Three and a half weeks in and I feel like I'm getting used to the intensity! Think C is beginning to get used to the outside world too. I do think induced babies aren't ready to come out when they do. She's currently snuffling and sleeping on my chest - have her strapped to me in a Kari-Me wrap (which, by the way, is ace once you've mastered it) while I make brekkie and tidy up the house a bit - feel almost human!

Posting a pic I took yesterday so you can see how much changes in such a short space of time! She looks like a different baby to me!

Here she is...3 weeks old...

I can't see the picture because I'm on the app but happy mother's day Feather! Lots of berry grads are into slings, if you ever join the FB group watch out, they'll have you googling didymos and fire spiral before you know it! At our NCT class yesterday we tried on slings using a weighted doll, my moby wrap felt so comfortable and I can't wait to use it for real!

Arrr feather she's lush!! She looks like she is smiling. Do they smile at that age? Happy Mother's Day! The sling sounds good in that you can get a few things done too. I'm not the most practical or neat when it comes to making or tying things so I do wonder what I'd be like with a sling. I found the wrap top from Jo Jo maman bebe taxing enough!! I'm good thanks, bump getting bigger, although my brother says it looks like I have just eaten too many pies! Dh assures me I do look pg & not just chubby! I quite like the way pregnancy evens out the rolls of fat on the tummy into one big balloon!!

I am feeling a little smug as have tackled the post tray, which was bulging with my stuff & have done lots of shredding. Just need to file it. I did however spot another pile in the corner of old bits that need going through but figure that will do for one day!! I still have school work etc to do.

Feather she is so cute - well done! You made her

Not coping as well this week - Dodo is going through a developmental leap/ growth spurt/ cranky period and we've had some awful nights this past week. But it will pass! And she got me a Mother's Day card, possibly with a little help from DH.

Bushy our sling doesn't involve much tying - it has clips to do it up, so v easy. I'd recommend googling to see if your area has a sling library - loads of places do - as then you can try before you buy. Dodo didnt like the first one we got, so glad we didn't buy!

Lady how's leave??

feather thanks for posting the photo of Cleo - she is very cute and seems so content and smiley. Great to know that you are coping so well and that there is light at the end of the tunnel after the first days of chaos (3 weeks doesn't sound too bad to start finding your feet again) .

We're having a lovely time on our holiday but missing my dream gini as back pain has attacked me with a vengeance ( must be the long flight) feather if you can find the time to explain the yoga poses, I'd be grateful.

bushy agree with you regarding names - but it's hard not to feel rude when you don't answer the question. I either say we're not sure yet or throw in a couple of names that I know won't be making it onto the short list - like names only I like but DH hates, etc

RP , feather - happy Mother's Day and everyone else happy Mother's in training Day

RP leave is great so far! I've been swimming, I've done some tidying up, I've slept (shame we can't actually bank sleep!) and I've watched Homes under the Hammer. Tomorrow I'm going to visit the nursery I will hopefully be using and I have an active birth class at the hospital I've transferred care to, it's held in one of their birthing rooms so it's a sneaky way of getting a tour of their labour ward!

RP I saw your other thread in parenting about crying and I think what you're doing seems completely reasonable, it sounds like some people are doing AP and perhaps being a bit extreme. In the end, your sanity is more important and if all you need is a shower and a cup of tea to feel human then I don't think that's asking too much! I'm sorry you're having such a hard time of it. There are lots of London berries available for meet-ups.

Oh so you did transfer? Excellent!

Yeah I'm doing bits n bats of AP but frankly like my space too much, as does DH, so hopefully we'll raise a baby who is similarly standoffish independent.

Yes, we've transferred and the class was really helpful, mainly because we had to drive to the hospital in rush hour, find parking and find the delivery suite so at least we are prepared for D-day! We got to see a room on the CLU and a room on the MLU with a pool, I pointed out the sieve to DH!

Hello ladies! Sorry I've been awol for a while, I've a lot to catch up on!

rp and feather Huge congratulations on the birth of your gorgeous little girls, such cute names as well!

jellie Big squeal - twins! Totally amazing, am so pleased for you, congratulations and here's hoping you have a smooth pregnancy.

lady Enjoy your mat leave, not long to go now. We're next up!!!!

Hello to the new ladies as well!

AFM I'm 39w+3. Eek! Still feels slightly unreal as I feel really well and only have a little bump although she's measuring 3500g. Not sure where she's hiding! Was at the Dr yesterday. Apparently the head is so far down that it's nearly falling out but my cervix is completely closed. Please send some oxytocin vibes my way!

rp LOL ... as a child of the early eighties, my mother was told that too much picking up of the baby and attention was very bad indeed, I still seem to have turned out ok well except for the OCD, unhealthy desire to please, a strange love hate relationship with touchy people and a few facial ticks, wink, eyebrow raise

chloe nice to meet you and not long to go for you now! I was reading today about natural labour induction and scientific evidence in 'expecting better' (which is brilliant if anyone wants a digest of all the pregnancy evidence) and apparently raspberry leaf tea, primrose oil and sex all have no evidence but breast massage seems to help, although you do need to be very committed and devote a few hours to it every day (!) (feather was thinking of you when I read this and kicking myself for not getting to the chapter earlier :-) ) ... Still it might be worth it if you're looking for a natural labour.

lady how was the nursery? Glad you've found a hospital that you feel good about.

bushy just wondering if you've felt movement yet? I keep hoping it could be any day now, but also have an anterior placenta which might mean another month to wait or even longer (I am 18 weeks tomorrow)

Having a lovely time on holiday, loving the luxury of just having a nap whenever I fancy it, the beaches and the heat. the hotel even got me a pregnancy pillow! Amazing!

Hello pearl, ooh your holiday sounds lovely. Where have you gone to?
I think I'm feeling movement but it's like when you've had a meal & your stomach is digesting, little pops and... Made up word here... 'Doofs' like a very soft kick/ poke. Seems to happen when i am planning & sitting still!! This has only started in the last week (21weeks) & is not obvious. I am however getting a really uncomfortable ache under my ribs. Has anyone else had this?

Lol at breast massage bringing on labour, my dh will be very pleased about that!

Have many of you read books etc about pregnancy & labour? I have only read online things & my app. Just wondering if I should & if anyone has any recommendations?

Really pooped, had parents evening tonight & it was the easier one, have lots more on Monday!

Going back for repeat scan tomorrow morning, hoping Missy will play ball & show the sonographer her spine this time!! Looking forward to seeing her again!!

Nice to meet you pearl! Interesting to know which of the theories are backed up by evidence! I read that for the nipple twiddling to work you need to do it three times a day for an hour!!!

Re movement, I have a posterior placenta and felt movement at 19 weeks. I reckon you might need to wait a bit longer if yours is anterior? Sounds like those are little kicks bushy! With me the first ones felt like popcorn, then it was only a couple of weeks before DH could feel them as well which was really lovely. Good luck for your scan today, hope she behaves herself!

Re books, I quite liked What to Expect when you're expecting as it's very detailed. I had it on my kindle and then my boss lent me her copy - I would definitely buy the paper version as it's something you tend to dip in and out of rather than reading straight through.

Chloe great to see you back, not long now!
Bushy they definitely sound like kicks, enjoy! For pregnancy info I've just used the apps, I did buy a book for DH but he hasn't read it but he got a lot out of the courses. For labour, I've read Mindful Hypnobirthing by Sophie Fletcher (came with my hypno course) and I've just finished Birth Skills by Juju Sundin. I think for me, the Birth Skills book was better, it has more practical advice about managing the different stages and coping with the pain. Hypnobirthing is good for relaxation techniques. I haven't read any books about looking after a baby though!

Pearl your holiday sounds amazing. My placenta is anterior and I didn't feel convincing movements until about 21 weeks. Nursery looks nice, they have chickens! It's convenient for work because they open at 0645. Makes it feel very real that I'm going to be a parent.
Just watched the eclipse on TV, we had clear skies where I live but I didn't have any eclipse glasses. It did get very dark though!

Oooh Lady that reminds me....

I have a copy of Birth Skills free to a good home if anyone wants! Takers?

bushy DH decided to spoil us rotten and go to the Seychelles as he found a great deal on the resort and kept saying this will be the last time in a while that we can go long haul (although there were at least 6 under 3 year olds on the plane with us, proving it's very doable albeit the budget may well not be there in the future). It is so beautiful here, we are loving every minute. So far I've only read books on pregnancy and also really liked 'what to expect' like chloe - it' s a classic. Also, the book I mentioned before 'expecting better' has been brilliant for looking at scientific evidence behind the conventional pregnancy wisdom. I especially love it because it allowed me to eat soft boiled eggs and sushi.
You did make me think though that I should perhaps read something eventually on how to take care of the little thing once it's out, but I am still not sure I really believe that this is happening and don't want to jinx it.

bushy lady Thanks for the info regarding movement, I'll just have to be patient for another few weeks I guess.

lady so glad the nursery sounds good and the chickens seem like a great bonus!
We'll be going to an open day for the nursery just down the road from where we live next Saturday . Fingers crossed it's great and we can end our search there, it would be so convenient and fit well with our lazy nature. How many days now till your due date?

chloe what are your plans for the birth? Home, hospital, drugs?

Luckily have my 20 weeks scan as soon as I am back on the 31st so that will be reassuring as at the moment I do have moments of paranoia and wondering if the baby is still ok in there. I just keep telling myself that no news is good news - no bleeding, no cramps, no changes ... Presumably all is well

Bushy - how was the scan? Did they get the measurements they needed?