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Original poster

The Crepe Escape

999 replies

Cremolafoam · 16/05/2013 22:48

We were getting to the end.Smile

OP posts:
motherinferior · 22/05/2013 20:58

I was actually in major denial up to second-stage labour with DD1. Honestly, I used to sit in antenatal classes thinking how weird that everyone was pregnant - I was quite sure I'd be spotted as a fraud and thrown out. It wasn't helped by the fact I didn't have to buy anything; we zipped up to Newcastle and drove back with all the stuff my sister had used (most of it hand-me-downs) from her baby a year before. Then she selfishly got up the duff again and I had to give it all back Grin

Stropperella · 22/05/2013 22:11

LOL at "major denial" Grin . I simply bumbled along but maybe I was in denial too. I went to one NCT meeting, but it gave me the heeby-jeebies and I never went again because everyone kept talking about babies and was too twee. Didn't read any baby books and wasn't connected to the internet at that point. Ignorance is, in fact, bliss. I always found it a shame that I couldn't stick with that blissful state second time around.

MrsSchadenfreude · 22/05/2013 22:44

I was in blissful ignorance for much of my first pregnancy as I was living in Transylvania, and had little idea of the diktat not to eat runny eggs, soft cheese, salami, pate, liver and 101 other things. I happily ate all of these, and as we couldn't get pasturised milk, we got it in a churn from a local farmer and used to boil it for ages on the stove. When I went back to UK to give birth, my midwife was practically hysterical, and told me not to read any of the leaflets, as it would only make me worry. I also managed to break my ankle while I was there - being 6 months pregnant and on crutches is no fun, as your centre of balance is out.

I couldn't bring myself to go into Mothercare - it was completely alien to me, and smelled of dirty nappies. On the odd occasion I did go in there, I used to come out in a cold sweat and have to leave.

Blackduck · 23/05/2013 08:37

Hi all - many thanks for the good wishes, and Cremo, I did partake of wine last night (a free bottle! - I have had free food curtesy of DPs away day - he bought the nice veggie dippy stuff back, and a free bottle of wine - opened, but not drunk, from a conference)
Mum off of angiogram today as they want to bottom out this heart thing.

Ds was early (two weeks) - induced, although I think he would have come naturally if they had let me hang on a day or two. It was all a tad fast and fraught. Near C-section, dropping heart beat, blah blah.....I ended up flat on my back with a zillion people round me and I closed my eyes and said 'tell me when it's over' :)

I then shook like a leaf afterwards...

bigTillyMint · 23/05/2013 09:10

Oh, DD was an emergency ventouse delivery - stuck in the birth canal for 4 hoursShock. as the epidural they had given me was too strong and had cut off all feeling from my neck down!
The first ventouse machine didn't work so they got another. Which didn't work either. Then some bright spark suggested they turn it onGrin

DS flew out like a baby lamb being born. Thank God!

motherinferior · 23/05/2013 09:26

There was a misspelling on my emergency 'ventous' [sic] form for hoovering out DD1 Angry I decided not to correct it as it's always a good idea not to irritate a chap about to wield a scalpel where the sun never shines but I'm still cross, 12 and a half years on. And my epidural only worked on one side till they turned it on to full throttle to do the operating-room bit.

DD2 was lovely waterbirth in our front room. Thank heavens we'd picked up the pool early.

Blackduck · 23/05/2013 10:06

Ventouse failed so good ol' forceps here. I had 'spectacular bruising' apparently Hmm

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 10:38

Crikey. What a lot of emergency baby-extraction went on among us crepeys. If it were a hundred years ago, would we all be dead? I was utterly obsessed with every minutiae of pregnancy ? as it had taken so bloody long to get into that state - but was terrified by the idea of birth. Secretly longed for a caesarean, not that I could admit to the NCT teacher.

DS was 10 days late, induced, the gel hyperstimulated me and I had immediate strong and hideous contractions. But he wouldn't come out. So I had an epidural, more induction drugs, and his heart rate dropped, everyone in the room went pale, the machine went 'beeeeeeeeep' and I thought I'd lost him. 10 minutes later he was whisked out of my belly. I got my C section! Though in slightly sub-optimal conditions.

hattymattie · 23/05/2013 11:52

Well - I bit like BTM's DS, all three of mine flew out like baby lambs. No painful contractions. Only just got to the hospital on time as didn't realise I was in labour. I consider myself bloody Lucky.

Have had hair cut really short like Audrey Tatou. Unfortunately I haven't metamorphosed into her - I haven't got those cheekbones. I like it though and I can just shake it dry in the morning instead of faffing around with unruly hair. I now have to decide whether to go grey or to redye. (This is an annual dilemma and I always finish by cracking.)

motherinferior · 23/05/2013 12:10

Ah yes, that 'I will be a charming chic-yet-tousled slightly gamine figure' belief. I entertain it regularly till the hairdresser shows me my reflection Grin

Stropperella · 23/05/2013 12:15

I was stuck on a drip and induced both times (labour sort of started with dd - see previous post :) - but never really got going) at 2 weeks over. Was marooned on my back for 36 hours before dd deigned to arrive (she still likes to make people wait now) and the epidural didn't work. It was all very ouchy. And she was completely overcooked and the placenta was beginning to curl up and detach, so it was as well she was induced.
Apparently I have a "tricky back" (according to the consultant anaesthetist), as the epidural didn't work with ds either, despite them putting it in 3 times. Ow bloody ow and all fer nuffink. They kept rubbing ice all over bits of my legs and saying "Can you feel that? Surely not." I may have slightly raised my voice at some point.

Stropperella · 23/05/2013 12:18

I am rocking the Worzel Gummidge look at the moment.

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 12:35

I have a mild birthday party dilemma to run past you experienced types.

As DS is four in July, I thought a small party - with balloons, cake, games, cheesy wotsits, etc - would be in order. Nothing too big, as last year he got overfaced by our 35 (!) guests and retired to bed. I thought about five children.

But who to invite? His closest friends are three or four NCT pals, but if I invite some I feel I should invite all, which would be about 12 kids. Or, nursery children. I thought by now that he'd have been invited to various parties, and I could just invite the hosts of those, but he's only been to one. He has a few good friends at nursery, but I don't know the parents - would it be awkward?

Or shall I just ignore the whole thing, and have cake with grandparents and some dancing.

motherinferior · 23/05/2013 12:38

You can do invites through nursery, Herbs, or just forgo the lot if it's too much stress.

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 12:52

Oh yes - it wasn't the logistics of inviting the nursery children, as I can put invitations in their pigeonholes. Rather than having to spend an awkward couple of hours with people I've never met! I know. It's not about me.

Annoyingly, some others in the NCT group see fit to invite select children to events, yet get a fit of the vapours should anyone else (such as me) dare do such a thing. I can't be doing with the drama.

hattymattie · 23/05/2013 13:07

MI exactly that. Grin

Goodness Herbs - do the parents stay? In France they drop and run! In that case I'd do a family thing until the parents do feel they can leave their kids or until DS is old enough to know any better Wink

Blackduck · 23/05/2013 13:08

Oh god I am so glad ds is past that stage - now he makes the list and that's who I invite.

Re not knowing anyone - been there, done that, key is to make sure you have lots to do so you spend the whole party dashing around arranging pass the parcel and offering cake so you don't have to engage for too long :)

Herbs - your experience sounds similar to mine, but in between the 'oh my god his heart has flat lined top her up for a C section' and rushing me to theatre I'd fully dilated so they decided to haul him out......
He was a dink it has to be said.

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 13:10

Hattie - the kids are only three and four, so prob a bit young to be left. And dealing with wailing children would be even worse than dealing with strangers in the house!

Maybe I'll give him a birthday treat, instead. He's been trying to get me to take him to the ballet...

CointreauVersial · 23/05/2013 13:12

Herbs, I'm tempted to suggest you have a small do with closest nursery friends (as MI says, the nursery will be able to tell you who his closest friends are and hand out invitations), then separately you can dress up your next NCT get-together as a birthday event (presumably you meet at soft-play or similar...). Under no circumstances invite 35 children to your house.

I got chatting to another colleague yesterday, as we pondered the non-appearance of pg co-worker's "early" baby, and she mentioned that her labour was "quite short". In fact, she woke up in the middle of the night (DP was away, and 1yo asleep upstairs) with the dawning realisation that the baby's head was droppping, ran downstairs to phone 999, and actually had to drop the phone so she had her hands free to catch the baby before resuming the conversation with the operator. Shock She did say it was pretty scary (understatement!).

As for me, DS and DD2 were easy peasy, but small-for-dates DD1 was induced early. She didn't like the idea, and I ended up with an EMCS under GA. I remember the midwife and DH staring at each other, then she pressed a buzzer, and there was the sound of many running feet......Just like BD I simply closed my eyes and mentally checked out of the whole process.

hattymattie · 23/05/2013 13:14

Yup - they'll leave even three and four year olds here. Any excuse for some down time - although I do take your point about wailing children.

Strangely enough I don't remember any wailing kids - I think with the maternal school system they are all pretty blasé about being left.

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 13:21

S&B news. After searching for the perfect light yet showerproof yet non-slimy jacket for my choir Germany tour (I even started a thread about it), and eventually buying something sub-par in Sainsbury's, it now looks like it's going to be so buggering cold that I'll be in my sensible outdoor coat the whole time. Bah.

And it looks like it's going to be windy for the crossing - we're going by coach. Joy.

motherinferior · 23/05/2013 13:34

I am having similar revision of my Smart Casual wardrobe for this weekend....

hattymattie · 23/05/2013 13:37

Herbs - bring a warm jumper - there's an icy Wind here it's freezing. The weekend is predicted really bad. I expect Germany will be similar but maybe less wet.

herbaceous · 23/05/2013 13:43

I was misled by the BBC 10-day forecast, saying there would be a daytime temperature of between 11 and 22 degrees. I assumed that meant it would start at 11, and end at 22. But it appears it's just a vague stab in the dark.

hattymattie · 23/05/2013 13:45

Maybe in Germany it'll be nicer. Here it is 10 and I have put on my fleece.Sad