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!

That Doctor Daughter list is brilliant.

If I may offer my (admittedly old) experience in maternity bag packing. My 'best bring' was a big plastic jug - that first wee after birth is a fucker, pouring warm water over myself during the wees made things a lot more bearable. I still remember fondly the random woman in HR who I'd never met before who shared this with me.

Do not bring only 'footed' baby grows for your LO. Ds was born with feet like sideshow bob. I had to send me dad out to buy baby grows with no feet and socks.

rp that's a brill website! Will definitely have a nosey about.

bair a jug! At this rate I may as well take my round-the-world rucksack. Great idea though. Tell me more about this first wee - complete agony? Oh god....

You can put your toiletries in the jog so no space lost! It burns, Feather. I didn't tear but I did have a graze and the wee hurt that too. Warm water over yourself relieves it loads.

Just want to cheekily pop on here to wish win, feather and rp all the best in the coming weeks. I have read stalked the copter since you all graduated to keep up with your news. Look forward to reading all about your lovely babies xxx

Ah, thanks lumen! Very kind of you. Looking forward to hearing your bfp news soon. xx

bair plastic jug is now on my list!

How is everyone?

Thanks lumen! Hope you're in the copter soon!

I'm alright thanks feather! Feeling quite heavy now, so glad I'm on mat leave now!!

O the ladies that are now on maternity leave, how many weeks pg were you when you finished work?

I've been having quite a heavy, sore feeling at bottom of abdomen. Am now 12 weeks- whoop, whoop! Does that sound familiar?

I don't know if anyone knows answer to this but a child in my class had chicken pox in the 2 week Xmas hols. They're back now and is past the itchy, contagious stage as she 's had it for a week & a half. Is there any danger to me? I know they often say to pg women to be careful if chicken pox has been reported.

Arr, lumen you're so lovely.

Bushy you're fine if you've had chicken pox before (double checked this yesterday because I think DH has shingles).

I've texted my mum to ask. I do hope so as been in class for 3 days with said girl. Your poor dh. Shingles is horrible.

Bushy, they tested my immunity at booking in because I wasn't sure if I'd had it... Do you know if they did with you?

If you don't know then see your GP to get tested for immunity but hopefully her lesions had crusted over by the time her parents sent her to school. I have a teacher friend who was exposed to parvovirus in her first pregnancy and had an anxious wait until her blood tests showed immunity. Have you told anyone at work yet?

When you say shingles is horrible is that from personal experience? Because if you've had shingles then you've definitely had chicken pox.

Bushy, and everyone has said, if you've had chicken pox before you'll be immune against it and shingles. Colleague of mine got shingles when I was around ten weeks - I call the epu and asked a doc and she said it was fine.

Bushy you can find out about immunity from a blood test at GP's. I have never had it but am immune it to it. I'd always suspected as much because my 3 sisters had it like dominoes and I shared a bedroom with them, but never had it. I got tested before we started ttc just in case and was confirmed as immune.

Lumen how lovely of you to pop by :) hope you are well!

Argh last night was stressful........at antenatal class till 9pm, then picked up birth pool (still hoping for a home birth!!!), then on way home brake light on car went so had to take car in to garage this morning, THEN when we got home we realised I'd stupidly left the freezer door open all day and poor freezer was making a very unhappy sound. We have tried an internet trick for fixing it by defrosting it completely and then have to turn it back on tonight. Didn't get to bed till 1 am.

Never mind, first-world problems eh. Will be glad to get off on mat leave though - only 9 days!! Bushy in answer to your question, I also teach (though at university, not school) and my last working day will be 37+4, which is a Friday, so first day of proper mat leave 38+0.

Feather & win are you feeling some major pelvic floor pressure now? Because sometimes it honestly feels like she's trying to break through!!

bushy I finished work on December 23 as I have a lot of hols I had to take before official mat leave kicks in on January 22. I was 34 weeks then, I think.

Oh no, rp! How annoying! Hope freezer sorts itself out soon. And yes, pressure all over the place - felt like she was about to burst out of my belly Sigourney Weave/Alien style yesterday.

Just off to my 36 week midwife appointment. Wish me luck. Will report back this eve.

Hope all well with mw today feather and no bp issues!

Bushy did you contact your gp in the end? Hope you got reassurance about it?

RP what a nightmare...hope you've not wasted too much food? When that happened to us we had the most random meals with the defrosted food! Fish, lasagne and scampi all on one plate with curry starter. Well done for waiting out til 38 wks..you must be massive!

So had a call from MW today with date for my booking appt in 2 wks time...errm I already have MW appt tomorrow? No, apparently i only have 20 mins tomorrow i had a feeling the stupid receptionist didn't know what she was doing. so I'll be nearly 11 wks by booking appt. Blows my chances of getting a scan at 12 wks doesn't it? I've still kept my appt in for tomorrow in the hope I can fast track things but we'll see. Feeling grumpy as just want to get abnormality checks out the way and have reassurance that things are going to plan. Really should have learnt some patience along the 2.5 yr ttc journey!

Any tips for staying asleep? I get to sleep ok but I'm waking up every 2 hrs and feel all itchy and twitchy. I go to the loo but I'm not waking up because I'm busting so not sure why. Then exhausted and can't function all day.

Thankfully not had repeat of nausea from the other day. It was really hideous. Managed to not vom though .

Oh Pixie, receptionist at doctors did that to me too with a previous pregnancy, but they still can book you in pretty quick, my booking appt was last Friday (10+4) but scan is booked for next Wednesday (12+1), she also booked me in for a reassurance scan for the Monday when my Mum said how anxious I was

I have the same problem with sleep, sorry no tips, only sympathy, this week I have seen 4am three times, either I go to sleep then wake up early, or nod off an hour before the alarm goes off. Trying to limit afternoon naps to make sure I'm super tired, hope this won't backfire

Hi, phoned mw & she said to get blood test done tomorrow at scan. Not had it as a child but had measles etc. V tired tonight so catch up tomorrow. Thanks for all the advice x

Baby bushy is in there!!! Trying to do a headstand! Soooo relieved to see it but my bladder wasn't full enough. I'd drunk 500 ml & stupidly read online ( on old mumsnet threads that it was ok not to be bursting & that they'd ask you to drink more if not full enough)

Anyway TMI here I needed a number two so a bit came out then. Took another 500ml with me & drank most of that waiting. We got in there & she said my bladder was almost empty so they couldn't see it v well and wouldn't be able to do the nuchal scan. We could see it but it was a bit fuzzy. Also it wasn't being v cooperative as it was doing a head stand so she turned me on my side and rocked me to try & get it to move. That hadn't worked so asked me to jiggle my hips, did that & it was better. I was beginning to think I've spoiled our 12 week scan & feeling really disappointed in myself. She then did a vaginal scan & was explaining that it might be uncomfortable etc, I was like it's fine I've had one before!! ( us berries are on first name turns with the dildocam!) . We then got a really clear view of it, chilling like it was in hammock and moving it's arms and legs. So weird to think it's doing all of that!! The sonographer apologised that she was taking a long time. I was quite happy to stare at it for ages!

Anyway, I'll have to have a blood test at 16 weeks for downs instead. Also bushy is measuring cock on, 12 weeks 4 days and is 6 cm!! Whoop!

I had other bloods done & urine ( how hard is it to get it in that stupid bottle??!!) & that nurse said not to worry about not getting the nuchal done as they always used to use the blood tests & that the baby does have to be in the right position so a lot of the time they have to resort to the bloods anyway. It's not their policy to rebook nuchals & they were full so I couldn't get in later that morning- so let this be a lesson drink lots & don't allow any wee to escape!! They took blood for chicken pox immunity too so I will get those results at 16 wk midwife appt, where she'll do the bloods too.

Dh has sent round a message to some of our friends. They're so pleased, it's lovely!

That's great news Bushy! So happy for you!

pixie sadly, no advice on sleeping through. I've been waking up at 3/4am every day since the early weeks and it's still ongoing. You do get used to it though.

bushy good luck at today's scan. Will be checking in to hear your news.

Had my 36 week midwife appointment yesterday. Had a bit of a fright as she couldn't find the baby's heartbeat and had to call someone else in. Turns out baby is back to back at the moment so I'll be doing the exercises off the Spinning Babies website to try and get her to turn. My iron was a little on the low side, but that was test results from November and I've been taking Spatone since then so hopefully normal.

win, rp are either of you feeling a bit sick again? As in The Nausea? Have had it come and go for the past week now. MW says it's normal as hormones rage towards the end of pregnancy. I really reckon baby feather is going to make an early appearance!

Ah, xpost bushy!! Fantastic news!! Whoop whoop! Xxxx

Brilliant news Bushy. I'm so jealous. I want my scan now!

Make sure you drink shit loads when it's ur turn pip!!

Thanks guys!

Might be buying some stretchy trousers & bigger knickers this weekend. Even my loosest ones are starting to feel very tight. Was it rp who swore by elasticated waists? Leggings are good but not v smart for work. Any suggestions oh bigger ladies on how to get through this stage? I expect it's not quite time for maternity yet, maybe just larger size and loose?

Using a hairband through the buttonhole and round the button made my jeans and work trousers last until about 20 weeks.