Welcome Triggles, have one of these all butter sultana cookies I've just been eating with an old friend of mine. Sad news from him - his partner has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's. Not too bad at the moment but getting shakier. They only got civil partnered a couple of years ago after years together and were both in fine health; scary how fast it can happen. But enough gloom, your life sounds very full and busy, congrats on the pregnancy (I'm 23 wks now) and hope you sort out the SPD soon.
JJ I'm not from Ireland, just have an unhealthy interest in that country and its accents. And yes indeed, Goose Fair still comes around - the largest touring fair in Europe, absolutely massive and terrifying and fantastic!
Your epidural sounds like the one my friend had - no pain, all done early on and no complications. Still doesn't appeal to me though - I do think being brought up by two doctors has made me very wary of the medical profession.
Hedgepig, I had my DD in a midwife-led unit - she was born in water an hour after I got there - and DS at home. The midwives arrived in time to catch him. Both v straightforward births, if brutal, and so lovely to sit in my own bed feeding new baby with family around me, drinking tea and eating toast and marmalade. Bliss. So if this one is head down and all my stats are OK I'll certainly go for that again.
The Sociolinguistics was a little part of my English Lang and Lit degree that I was pretty unaware of before studying it, and proved to be a real eye-opener. Unlike learning Anglo-Saxon which was the ultimate eye-closer
mrsb, just hold on while I put down this lentil shawl I'm knitting , ah, that's better. Yes, you do get two midwives' undivided attention and they seem to be uniformly nice ones - I guess they opt into doing home births so have the right experience and are v supportive and calm. Two of my sisters had horrid mws in hospital but lovely ones at home births.
It's a question of balancing what scares you more - for me it's the smell of hospital, yukky surroundings, the noise of other people, not being able to have DH stay with me if it's night time, and the chance of getting a doctor anywhere near me with an intrusive attitude. Having given birth twice with no pain relif except TENS machine, I'm much more confident about being at home, in fact I know that being relaxed helped me the last times. Of course if there were any complications either before or during labour that required a medic I'd happily submit!
Good job they don't count words rather than post. I'd have taken up several threads by now all on my own . Must thing about tea.