40's + Mums and Mums to Be.

[johnworf]

Hello, good evening, and welcome. Our ovaries are tired and withered but we've still managed it despite what the Daily Mail says!

Come on in for a gossip, cake, parenting tips and the nonstop drivel interesting chat.

Newbies welcome :-)

yes, so surprised how time has flown!

actually packed up the amby a week ago

where did the time go?

Hello all!

Thought I'd drop by with the birthing story I thought I'd never get to write. My beautiful baby boy Samuel was born in the early hours of 8 July, by emergency CS. 3.7 kilos, which I think is about 8lb 1oz in old money.

Induced by prostin gel at 4pm, and hyperstimulated, so went straight into painful contractions. All NCT class guff about lavender oil, humming or massage out the window, as it got worse and worse, with no pause between them. TENS machine worked for a bit, but after that gas and air didn't even touch the sides. Blood pressure through the roof, so straight to labour ward, with no poncing about with birthing pools. Wired up to monitor, BP machine and drip. Hideous agony.

After an hour of requesting it, a blessed epidural arrived, which was the biggest relief of my life. In my delirium, I embarrassingly said to the lovely anaesthetist (the appropriately named Dr Breeze) 'aren't you young'.

By then, 3cm dilated. A few hours later, still 3cm dilated, hooked up to syntocin (sp?) drip to speed things up, monitoring clip attached to baby's head, cathether up me fannage, so wired up like a robot.

Then it all went even less right. The baby's heartbeat dipped right down, a machine went BEEEEEEEEEEP, and suddenly the room was full of doctors, saying the baby had to come out NOW. DP was white-faced, saying 'it will be alright', but I was convinced it was all over. We'd got this far only to lose him at the last minute. Thought I was going to be sick.

My epidural was topped up, I signed the consent form with my left hand while being wheeled into the theatre, and 10 mins later Sam was hoisted from my belly. I couldn't see him, as the screen was so close, but after a few agonising seconds heard him cry.

He's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Over the past few hormone-addled days, I've just spend hours staring at him, and crying about how much I love him. I've only just got home, as the hospital wouldn't let me out, both because he had lost too much weight, and because my blood pressure is still through the roof. Pretty hideous, being alone in there for so long, but it was a good bonding time. And now I?m a mum. Does it ever feel normal?

Jw- that's definitely the decision I'd make as well. He really won't miss much/anything anyway.

Well, biggest child turned 16 on Friday and seems to be stuck in toddlerhood. My friend reckons that teenage is just like toddlerhood anyway, but he's ticking all the boxes at the moment- temperamental, demanding, attention-seeking, unreasonable. He's driving me nuts! The only upside to his being 16 rather than 16 months is that I can actually expect him to do things...

Also, school's out for the summer. I still have the two Spanish kids here but they're going on Thursday. The last month seems to have flown by.

Herby!!! Fab news! So glad for you.

herbaceous wow! What a birth story. Sounds a bit hair raising for a time there but so pleased that you and baby S are now at home and doing well It's all worth it isn't it? Sounds to me like you're smitten, which is just as it should be.

Aye duchesse we're happy to have him home with us. It will be interesting to find out how many others follow suit. How you diddling anyway? Not seen you around for a while? Sorry to hear about your teenager. It does pass though. For men, when they reach around 60! Sorry, just pulling your leg

herbaceous hurray for you and Samuel. So glad it all turned out so well. The staring is very important; enjoy it! .

How's your LO, Heron? Visible bruise? Or playing happily as though nothing happened?

JW May as well avoid the dreaded swine flu as long as you can, what with K being vulnerable and all. As you say, DSS isn't going to miss out on lots of important work and if he's happy to stay at home then everyone's happy.

duchesse will you be glad to have the house to yourselves or were the Spanish guests a delight? Or a bit of both?

JJ So tempting not to tell the tax credit folk, but chances are you'd be one of the ones they find out about, unlike all the people who are ripping off the state deliberately. A friend had the sensible suggestion of each adult having an 'account' with the gvt, based on NI number. Taxes in and benefits out would be dealt with together, so the net difference would be obvious and not require annual filling in of multiple forms which a lot of people probably make a mess of just because they're too busy/not bothered/semi-literate to do it properly. Instead of having the Inland Revenue operating on one hand and the benefits/tax credits system on the other. Makes sense to me.

Gosh, you can tell I'm missing my daily dose of the Today prog; I'll start giving you the political news soon

Welcome Bella and many congratulations! I'm 42 and have DD (11), DS1 (6) and DS2 who was born exactly 2 weeks ago. .

All I've done is feed baby A, one load of laundry, fetch DS1 from school and make the tea while A slept longer than 5 mins. And I don't care! I'm making the most of this last dose of mummy and babyhood and sod the cleaning ./

Robert Peston Ermintrude xx

ps JW re nappies - aha, you mean put the booster bit in a place where it's actually useful rather than just neatly tuck it up along the whole nappy without rhyme or reason? Why didn't I think of that? Thank you for gently pointing out the bleedin' obvious to my poor nappy-brained self

The Spanish kids are lovely- They're brother and sister (first time here for the little girl) they've been coming every year for the last four (including a whole term for the boy last year and for his older brother the year before). It just adds an extra school run, more washing, packed lunches and the need to think out activities for them -I normally just let mine veg a bit and do the cooking etc in the holidays. Anyway I asked their parents to arrange for them to go a little earlier this year due do my increasing girth and the need to sleep 20 out of 24 hours during my last month of pregnancy!

herb was looking out for your post! that must have been scary and i am so so glad that all went well. the docs and nurses did their job great and you are all well and now a family! CONGRATULATIONS! which hospital were you in?

so how does it feel being a mummy?

so very happy for you!

ermin LO is fine. i am observing him like a hawk. can see nothing out of ordinary. no unusual behaviour. touch wood. no more lying on my bed unattended!

he has a cough and puked up his feed, all over the carpet! poor baby. poor mummy who has to scrub tomorrow, pronto!

the fun of it all!

ladies, right now, i am feeling very emotional, mostly because it was my fault LO fell out. got me thinking about life. and how before i became a mum, i took a lot for granted.

Oh heron don't feel bad, it was a accident and I'm sure it won't happen again. It is very scary when you think about being totally responsible for the survival of a LO and how much you love them.

had a shit day at work, tired and stressed and peed off. Had to have half a boost bar with a cuppa (first resort to chocolate for months) and have a bottle of wine in the fridge that'll help the diet, not.

jw don't blame you for keeping the little fella at home especially as it is so close to the end of the year. I hope the bloody vaccination becomes available soon. A previously healthy little 6 yr old girl died today.

herbaceous congratulations - dramatic story but glad you're both okay and home!

heron try not to stress too much about it.

jw didn't know your boy had asthma - deffo keep him home. Just no point in the risk then really is there.

M had her first day in the next room up at nursery. The carers were all marvelling at how clearly she speaks and how many words she knows (esp as they are all 2-3 in there and she's not 2 yet). I said she gets lots of practice (never shuts up). She started messing with my laptop this evening and I said "what are you doing?" "playing mummy's cuter" awwww.

mrsb OMG, little girl died? that is scary. with winter coming up...

this makes for sober reading. here

JW I totally agree with your decision with K's and DSS' breathing problems.

herb congratulations and so glad everything turned out okay in the end!

heron wanna feel guilt? Have the baby drop out of your arms! Sounds like LO is fine, so I wouldn't stress too badly about it!!

bonzo what a smart girl you have there! Better get her her own Laptop, ASAP!!

Personally I refuse to freak about Swine Flu. All of this 'OMG we're all gonna die' running about is just silly, IMHO. If, as in JW's case, there is an underlying condition, absolutely take extra precautions. And yes I realize the first 'healthy' child just died from it. But there is nothing we can do about it, so I refuse to freak about it. It looks like for most people it will be very mild flu, even this winter.

The real panic, IMHO, is being caused by the word 'pandemic'. Which does not mean 'OMG UNSTOPPABLE AND THE WORLD WILL END!' but Worldwide. It is a pandemic. Its not the TV show 'Survivor'!!!

arggg I have been trying to catch up all day but there is another page of posts popped up when I wasn't looking, just saying hi in case you thought I was still cycling. Right the washing up can wait I am going to read this page [determined emoction]

Isn't it said that flu pandemic of 1918 caused more deaths to soldiers in WWI than the actual war did?

For myself, I'm not that worried. Just the LO's. I did have a moment of thinking that praps it'd be better for him to catch a mild form of it but then thought no. His chest isn't that brilliant and can't take that risk.

tee totally agree with you though on the scaremongering (anyone remember avian flu? Thought not )

mrsb you sound like you're ready for cracking open a bottle of something cold and putting your feet up. Did it all go pete tong today?

ermintrude hope the nappy works and it keeps all the wee wee where it should be One of the ladies from the cloth nappy thread is letting me loan a wool wrap. New to me. Love the thought of wool but have up until now, been put off by the lanolising but think that my spare tube of Lasinoh will come into use.

bonzo your LO sounds like she'll end up showing the bigger ones a thing or two! That's girls for you though.

tee i hope ur right. and i guess worrying wont help anything.

still dreading winter...

sorry being too negative!

am worried for the LOs.

JW I just remembered...on my June thread (I think it was) someone asked what to do with an unused tube of Lasinoh and someone suggested using it on eczema! Apparently it works nearly as well as steroid cream. My unused tube is waiting for DH for his next flair up. Perhaps it would work for K?

tee i got a tube of lasinoh as well. that i never used cos never did get cracked nipples. phew!

now this is interesting. here

Well the Lasinoh has lanolin as the main ingredient in it so I can use it for lanolising wool. I've got 2 lambskins (car seat and stroller) and hopefully some nappy wraps to come. Glad I didn't throw it away now

Not heard of it for eczema must admit. K's eczema is really very dry skin which I treat with aqueous cream and Oilatum so it never gets to the bleeding stage, thankfully. Will remember for future reference though! Thanks.

Evening ladies.
herb oh WOW....what a story - I've SO pleased you both came through it ok. I really, really know how that feels....that moment when you realise something is wrong and it's all out of your control. Excellent news that your both home and well....gorgeous name too Oh and as to your question "does it ever feel normal" ...well, sort of, just that 'normal' becomes 'different' You'll probably end up weepy over everything....even when the hormones settle!! Well done xxxx

erm I think 'sod the cleaning' should be included in all NCT classes and literature! I think a Robert (evil step-brother of David Tennant) Peston-style round up of daily politics would indeed be lovely...if you could see to that then - excellent

jw sounds like a sensible agreement to me, especially as your DSS could do without catching it. I agree that the media has a lot to answer for in whipping everyone up into a frenzy. I think it's because it went very quiet and then suddenly it's a reignited story. It's times like this one needs to avoid the DM AND the ITV news!!

bonzo your darling M sounds gorgeous - bless her.

hedgepig thank goodness you called in - I was worried that you'd got lost or popped your clogs! Are you thinking of perhaps doing the Tour de France next year

duchesse eek..smelly teenagers..poor you! How is your girth these days? Are you fit to pop?!

Right - another early night beckons.

Ermintrude that's very intereting he has leked I have never had a leak form a cloth nappy ony disposable ones.. Any way there is splendid advide on lots of different nappies on the nappylady site here and here the download instructions (number 1) with photos are brill.

Herb well done you and hello Samuel, it must have been totally freaky but it all turned out in the end. As the lady who ran a refresher birth class I went to said "sometimes babies need rescuing" I found that a really powerful though after being in such a mess over DS1s birth for too long. We had emergency button pressed a couple of time with O with the room filling up with medics but he perked up and came fine in the end.

Heron poor LO and poor you. I'm sure he will be fine the bounce very well, only today I looked at O as I left him on the bed thinking this is a stupid thing to do....I still did it but from tomorrow I will not do it again.

Bella hello why on earth would we slap you? I am very at you 8 yr battle to get treatment, that is totally pants.

Duchess not long to go now 'til the lO arrives.

JJ well done on meeting a nice person, see they are out there. Re; the tax office don't ring wrire (recorded delivery) and end you letter with a phrase along the lines of "I will assume that if I don't hear form you within 14 days that this money being paid to me is not a mistake and is mine to keep" that should get a reply . It worked with DH and the tax office anyway

O has been off colour with a cold all day he has finally nodded off, he looks so sad with his sniffy nose.