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What to pack in Labour Bag?

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  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    i've never met an atticus before. mind you, the name my son wants for our baby is reuben, and i've never met one of those either lol! i mentioned it in the staff room on thursday and one of the teachers had a great grandfather named reuben, so there must be somebody somewhere with the name - i'm a bit wary of giving a name that's totally unique (although it's not made up, but nobody seems to know that it's biblical, odd that so many other biblical names are commonplace), but at the same time i don't want anything from the ten most common because i know i hated being called sharon along with more than half the girls at school lol!

    glad you're both well and he's gaining weight :-) i can't wait to have my baby, i'm absolutely massive but i'm only 29 weeks lol! i can't believe i could get any bigger! the morning sickness, headahces and nosebleeds have come back too so i'm very grumpy, and i can't sleep. somebody on the bounty forum says argos sell one of those v-shaped cushions, for getting comfortable at night, then for breastfeeding, and for sitting baby up in later. it's only six pounds or so compared to 30 in all the catalogues, so i'm going to have a look. apparently they sell cheap birth balls too (although i'm not sure what you actually do with them?!). a midwife has agreed to squeeze us in to one of her antenatal classes on labour so maybe i'll find out then. we've also got a tour of the hospital booked so i can find out if we need to bring a birth ball/tens machine etc. or if they can be borrowed in hospital.

    so julia, did you have everything you needed in your labour bag? any last minute tips for the rest of us? :-)
    52% tight
  • Jay-Jay_4
    Jay-Jay_4 Posts: 7,351 Forumite
    jellyhead wrote:
    apparently they sell cheap birth balls too (although i'm not sure what you actually do with them?!).

    You can sit on it while you're pregnant, it's really good for your posture as you have to maintain your balance and can't slouch. It's like a mini workout as you need to tense up your 'core muscles' to remain upright. You can circle your hips to improve your tummy muscles, strengthen your back and work your pelvic floor.

    During labour, if you sit on a ball you can 'gyrate' your hips during contractions to relieve some of the pain. Hold onto another bit of furniture and you can lean back onto your bum if the pain's at the front or lean right forward if the pain's in your back. All this moving around whilst remaining upright encourages baby to descend and the constant movement and pressure opens up your cervix quicker.

    The ball also lets your tailbone move out of the way when baby's head is descending. You also can kneel on the floor and lean right over it, rocking back and forth to relieve backacke.

    I wouldn't have been without mine.

    (Be warned, if you get one your hubby, and anyone else who comes to your house, will have an overwhelming desire to throw themselves onto it and try to balance on their tummy before falling of in a heap :rolleyes: :D )
    Just run, run and keep on running!

  • Lillibet_2
    Lillibet_2 Posts: 3,364 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh I think Atticus is lovely!

    Jellyhead, I was at school with a Reuben, he was Italian?

    We have already decided on George for our Spud, although I think Spud will be more widely used!
    Post Natal Depression is the worst part of giving birth:p

    In England we have Mothering Sunday & Father Christmas, Mothers day & Santa Clause are American merchandising tricks:mad: Demonstrate pride in your heirtage by getting it right please people!
  • Dormouse
    Dormouse Posts: 5,617 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Congratulations to Julie :j and well done to Atticus for being such a good little boy and eating loads! :j
  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
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    yes, my spud is called spud more often than by his name :-)

    i was told by a customer at work today that there's a child named reuben living around 2 miles away. he wouldn't be at the same school as my reuben but it's nice to hear that it's not a totally unused name. this other reuben is mixed race. i don't know if it's commonly used in other countries but as far as i know it means 'behold, a son' and is a name in the bible. the only levis we know are mixed race, my son liked that name too, it was in the same bible studies lesson as reueben.

    jayjay thanks for that info about birth balls - so you can use it before you go into labour, i didn't realise that! i've been having problems with pains down below, when walking, etc. (due to relaxed ligaments i'm told) so toning up muscles and improving posture would really help, swimming doesn't seem to be doing much to improve things. i'll get a birth ball, and maybe at the same time i should get space hoppers for hubby and spud :D
    52% tight
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 46,899 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    jellyhead wrote:
    i'll get a birth ball, and maybe at the same time i should get space hoppers for hubby and spud :D
    Beware space hoppers! My DH sprained his ankle quite badly when racing on one, you don't want him out of action just when the new baby arrives!

    What you're all calling a birthing ball is I think also used by physios in treating back pain. Had one at my Active Back class. Good fun!
    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    are they also called stability balls? i've seen classes at the gym. my dad once did his back in on a spacehopper, we were bouncing around the bedroom after we'd been put to bed, he came rushing upstairs to tell us off, we leapt off the spacehoppers and into bed, leaving them on the floor - he came in and fell over one and was very cross indeed, he was in agony - ooops!
    52% tight
  • pavlovs_dog
    pavlovs_dog Posts: 10,213 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    i know a boy called rueben...comes from a jewish family.
    know thyself
    Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus...
  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    i mentioned it at college today and a few people know a reuben, they all like the name, i just need to persuade hubby lol!
    52% tight
  • Greenstuff_2
    Greenstuff_2 Posts: 225 Forumite
    100 Posts
    I sponsor a little boy from Equador called Reuben, he is adorable, really handsome, huge brown soft eyes.

    Ok I'm convinced, where do I get my ball from?
    Waddle you do eh?
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