MSE pregnancy club II

3KIDSNOMONEY

Thanks Bun - was hoping to get another bag (greedy i know) to use as a spare in the car or something - i just like freebies.

Not done much at all today - sat a lot and now am feeling really sore above my bump under my boobs. At the Drs tomorrow to have a swab done for the group strep b. Have heard that the NHS test isn't as reliable as a private one but going to go for it anyhow.

Kids arguing all the way home from school and even though i haven't done anything today i am shattered.

Welcome Reformed - hearing you say that your baby is due in march and that isn't long makes me realise that my baby will be here soon. Quite a scary thought and i think it will be a shock to us all. The Due list seems to be getting longer and longer. Good luck with the painting and make sure that you don't do it all yourself. When you are off work it is easy to spend spend spend especially on the internet so be careful if you are watching the pennies.

I don't want a 29th Feb leap year baby - anyway i don't intend to go even a day overdue so it's not possible!

miss_be

Hello Reformed - good luck with trying not to spend much money. I haven't spent a thing yet but got cot, pushchair, and baby sling bought by family members and friends have given their cast off clothes. I am going to have to spend some money now though to get the last bits. It's good to write a list of what you think you need and then go over it again asking - do I really need this, as a lot of things aren't totally necessary.

I had another bit of luck today after my last post - my brother and his wife sent me a cheque for £100 for baby things. How wonderful is that. I cried some more after that too. So now there are no worries about not having the money to get the last stuff for Ember. I was also sent a little pamper package of yummy body stuff too but I have no idea who it's from.

I went into Boots today to see about the changing bag. You can get the £29.99 bag for free (!) if you buy a load of pampers nappies and have the voucher from the parent club booklet. I'm going to use re-useable nappies so I won't get it! With the extra money I can buy a bag now anyway. Also Boots are doing great reductions at the moment on some changing bags on their website but not in store.

I wonder does anyone know about good night lights for the room at night. I thought that if I'm breastfeeding or need to change a nappy at night I don't really want to turn on a bright light so I thought about using those soft lights that you plug into sockets. Mothercare do 2 for £4.99 but I wondered if anyone has got one already that they find works really well, as you can't really tell how much/little light they'll give out.

I was also wondering about terries nappies. Does anyone know where and if you can get re-useable liners? Can normal liners be washed and used again? Just wondering.

I've been tromping around town all day pricing up the last items like Arnica, Rescue Remedy and gaffer tape (all for the birth lol!). I feel like I've walked about 50 miles. Another bonus was being given a bag of free veg from my aunt as she can't sell them as they aren't tip top. They are fine for me though. I'm very pleased that I've been given so much today. It's cheered me up even more.

I hope everyone else is doing well too. x

morganb

Don't worry about a nightlight, I used a 20 watt bulb in my bedside lamp when I was breastfeeding and that was absolutely fine.
Have had to buy a nightlight for DS2 since, however, as he doesn't like the dark, bless him

cazscoob

hello have got on at long last to tell you all that baby charlie has arrived!!!!! he arrived on sat 19th jan at 08:41 weighing an almighty 8lb 8oz!

i think that as i had so many aches and pains during pregnancy that he took pity on me and gave me the most fantastic birth ever!!! to be honest i had braxton hics on and off since the thurs as i had been to see the reflexologist and that usually happend. however on fri night they were coming regular but werent painful just tightnings. i went to bed around 9pm put a dvd on and fell asleep. woke up at 3am and still had the tightnings around every 7-10 mins, again not painful. so i went downstairs washed the dishes and ironed the kids clothes(i dont know why pmsl) thinking i would fall back asleep once everything had been done. however around 6.45 these tightnings were getting closer and closer, so i woke OH and kids got them dressed and dropped off at grans house. got to hospital at 8am and thought this is getting a little bit sore now and struggled to get up the hospital ramp. the midwife asked the most stupid questions and i was getting slightly ratty at her and stood holding on to a bedside table. i was only now aware that this was me in labour and think i panic mode set in, hubby had to undress me and help me onto bed while i begged for some gas and air. a few deep breaths and i was in a nice little world of my own eveything a bit fuzzy but quite nice. the next thing i felt this almighty need to push so did lol without a word to anyone and before i knew it my waters had broke and OH was swearing and the midwife was running over. no equipment or second midwife in the room and baby charlie had arrived!

everything was fantastic and i was amazed how quick it all went. was home within 6 hours and in my own bed fast asleep! he is absolutly georgeous and really good. have been a bit sore lol as can be expected and my boobs are amazingly huge and also sore but the feeding is going well and am enjoying every second! hope that labour is just as easy for the rest of you xxxx

chocaholic110

Congrats cazscoob! Glad everything went brilliantly for you!

chocaholic110

Just popping on to post my birth story. It's long so I have copied it from my diary - ignore anything that doesn't make sense from there and I'll edit it tomorrow. I notice ella hasn't been on. hopefully news will come from there soon.

Just popping in to update on the state of affairs since I last wrote this.

The short version, for people short on time or interest in the situation, is that baby Thomas Jacob Chocaholic was born on 18th January at 4.08pm, weighing 5lb 8oz.

The long version I will post now. Skip ahead if you're easily bored as I'm writing it more to get everything straight in my own head really - hoping it might be cathartic(sp?) to write the whole story down.

So, here goes...

After posting here last Friday I got a call from the Day Assessment Unit where I had an appointment for monitoring at 2.30pm. They wondered could I go at 1.30 instead as it was more convenient for them. So off I went and was duly affixed to the monitor. The midwife looked at the intial trace asnd was a little bit dismissive as she said she couldn't see a problem and wasn't sure why I'd been sent in so I sat there feeling like a bit of an idiot as if I were wasting her time. About 20 minutes later as she passed, she glanced at the trace and her face dropped. She called another midwife over and they discussed the trace then told me they were readmitting me to the delivery hospital. She said I would have to go by ambulance but just as a precaution, so two amulance drivers turned up, I was mortified to have to go on a stretcher (with a blanket, like an old person, when I felt fine!!). The midwives asked for the ambulance to be driven with the blue light on, again, just as a precaution. It all felt slightly over dramatic and as if I were in an episode of Casualty!!

So, by three o'clock-ish I was back at the hospital I left the day before. I expected to be readmitted to the ante-natal ward that I'd just left so was slightly startled to taken to the labour ward. Very quickly I was hustled out of clothes, had monitors put on and tests taken and the staff seemed very peturbed that I wasn't with any relatives and kept asking who they could call. (The midwife at the original hospital had said she would phone my Mam who would call OH but I didn't have a clue where he might have been driving at that moment).

A doctor examined me and the trace and they were going to see if they could break my waters to induce labour. I said that they had suggested that yesterady and the baby wasn't ready to be born and she replied that she knew that but yesterday wasn't urgent and now it was. An examination showed that my cervix was still firm and closed (sorry folks, TMI!!) so she then said they were going to do a Grade 1 emergency caesarian section. At that point lots of people began rushing about and asking again about relatives wanting to know who could get there in less than 30 minutes. As we live further away than that I knew no-one could get there but said they shouldn't be too much longer but the midwife said if it were Grade one it had to be done within 30 minutes. Suddenly people seemed to be all over me putting in drips and needles, putting on heart monitors, oxygen masks etc and I was taken to theatre. I started to get a bit scared at this point and all I can remember is that I couldn't keep my legs still as they were shaking so much. Then the general anaesthetic was given and I knew nothing more until I was woken up at 4.55pm and OH came through the door literally 2 minutes later while I was still groggy and a bit dazed.

It was hard to speak but I finally managed to ask about the baby and was told he was small but ok.

As I came round the midwife came to talk to me and we found out that after going into the surgery at 3.55pm the general anaesthetic was given at 4.02, cutting began at 4.05 and Baby Tom was born at 4.08pm. I was amazed at the speed as less than two hours earlier I had still been at another hospital. The midwife also said that the cord had been round his neck four times, he had passed meconium while still inside and the placenta looked to be infected and breaking down. Scarily she said that if I hadn't been down for daily monitoring, or even if my appointment hadn't been changed to an hour earlier, everything would probably have been too late :eek: which in one way is horrifying but in another we feel really, really lucky that all circumstances seem to have combined to produce a good outcome and Tom is tiny but perfect. In fact, OH and myself are both completely besotted!!

So... after Tom's birth all was more or less when and we didn't seem to be any worse off for the drama of the birth. The hospital I was in works with the midwifery led unit at my local hospital and you can transfer there for after care. We wanted to do this as it's a lot closer to home, there are no visiting restrictions, you get a private room and partners can stay overnight. However, they will only accept you if there are no problems. So we asked if we could be transferred. The first day they said no as my temp and heart rate were still too high. The second day they said possibly, checked there was a room available (there was) and said I could probably move in the afternoon. The midwife on duty said she would run a full blood count just to make sure before going (as she said if I got there and there was a problem I would just have to come back). By four o'clock there were still no results back.

At 4.30 I had my second "Casualty" moment. The room suddenly filled with doctors, student doctors, midwifes and auxilliaries who drew the curtains round and said the blood results showed I had platelet levels a quarter of what they should be, iron levels of half of what they had been and "abnormal liver function" They took me to a private room on the labour ward where they said I could be monitored more closely and I spent the next day or two being medicated, injected, having blood taken, blood pressure monitored, urine output measured and tested etc etc. They said I possibly had something called HELLP syndrome which I've never heard of (and I read a lot about pregnancy symptoms!). After a couple of days they said everything except the iron levels were slowly returning to normal and I could go back on the ward. After a night on the ward i asked to go home and they said I could as long as I had a blood transfusion first, that I agreed the community midwife could continue to do daily monitoring and that after a week I would have blood tests and liver function tests and go back in for treatment if necessary. (Hoping not to have to do this as I am eating everything I can containing iron to force my iron levels up)

The midwife came today and said my blood pressure is going back up so to rest more (OH is quite adamant about this, to the point of being bossy!!) and she says that it could either have been HELLP syndrome or her opinion is that I have had obstetric cholestasis but didn't have the itching symptoms along with severe anaemia. Frankly looking up HELLP and obstetric cholestasis on the internet (I know, I know, you shouldn't do it!), both are fairly :eek: and I'm not sure which I would have preferred (which sounds stupid as obviously I would prefer neither!!). The midwife also thought that regardless of what it was, that it was something unconnected to Tom's foetal distress and that was just a coincidence caused by the cord being wrapped around his neck - I'm not sure if the infected placenta could have been caused by these conditions but the fact that the placenta wasn't working properly is probably why he was only small. (And the fact that he was small has given him more room for manouvre while inside me hence the moving from transverse to breech etc and being able to get wrapped up in cord)

Anyway, hopefully by next week everything will be back to normal.

And on a very pleasant note SPD appears to clear up instantly upon the birth of the baby. I can proudly claim that I can put on underwear while standing on one leg without the slightest twinge of pain!!

cazscoob

EDD
Phatmouse - 12th January 2008
Sunny Angel- 14th January 2008 (I think!!)
curly_em - 14 January 2008
tbourne - 20 Jan 08
Ciara111-22 Jan 08
pinkmilkplease - 26th Jan 08
chocaholic110 - 27th January 08
Ella_ella_ella - 27th January 08
Cathie - 7th February 08
Melly74 - 17th February 08
Liley9 - 18 February 2008
miss_be - 20th February 08
Loopy-loo73 - 21 Feb 08
Bailey - 22 February 08
alison6692 - 24 February 2008
PiscesPrincess - 24th February 2008
Bun - 25th February
Ella29 - 27th February 08
3KIDSNOMONEY - 28th February 08
Dougggie - 2 March 08
Doobees - 4th March 08
svmitche - 4th March 2008
Purplegirluk1 - 6th March 2008
Elliesmum - 8 March 08
mandy2383 - 9th march 2008
ukbBandit - 15 March 2008
Heavenleigh - 24th march 08
Melg1973 - 24th march 08
Newleafer - 27th march 08
Pink Princess 1 - 29th March 08
tranquil - 2 April 2008
Girl And The City - 5 April 2008
redflame705 - 8th April 08
snugglepuss - 9th April 08
gemsygem (Sheel's daughter) 19th April 08
MonkeyLady - 20th April 08
JojoB - 20th April 2008
PinkPrincess 21st April 2008
machairs - 24th April 2008 (may change after scan)
debecca - 26th April 2008
Kelsi-Blu - 27th April 08
Katgoddess - 29th April 2008
lostbuckaroos - 2 May 2008 (although doc thinks that could be 2 weeks out!)
rjh090384 -3rd May 2008 (changed at 12 week scan)
Knotty29 - 16th May 2008
destiny_star2006 - 22 May 2008 (or could be 2 June!)
clarkey1000 - May 31st 2008
honeybe21 - june 2nd/3rd 2008
nik2108 - 11th June 2008
sunday_girl - 6th July 2008
skyeandeviesmummy - 13th July 2008
I love my Pomeranian - 15th July 2008
Jak - 18th July 2008
bethom - 20th July 2008
skintnutta - 21st July 2008
Blink_Blink - 3rd August 2008
ParadiseKidd - 6th August 2008
grad_gal25 - August 11th (My Birthday This was so not planned!)
Carol9uk - 13 August 2008
Scottish-Diva- August 2008
LindseyandMatthew 23rd August!

TTC LIST
Daisykate124
Cookiesncream
witchyroo
sjm
Fishcake_random
Lesleydejager
jo_jo
picklesmum
durham_girl
likabu
jo101
Pooky
emptypocketz
Miss_pink & Mr Pink
Boobylou
lilmrsmullen
jiblets1
Lillian06
ginvzt
Uisge10
CHARLIE54
keelykat
jpwhittle
lwcus78
bloomin freezing
coleys

BIRTH LIST
tammyfshr - Hector - 6th December 2007. 5 days late and weighing 9lbs 15 oz
Ebony: Alexandra Louise - 6th December @ 3.55 weighed 6lbs 4oz
helend - Neve Sarah - 19th December - 7lbs9.5oz
Suzukibabe- Adam thomas - 15th December, 2 weeks early - 4lbs 2oz.
Sugarcubed - Baby Jenna born 23rd Dec @ 19.43 weighing 6lb 13. Cutey and starting to form a little personality
Beakerange - Luke Joshua - 24th December @ 22.26 weighing 5lbs 13.5oz. 6 days overdue but an absolute star.
Scruffy96uk - baby Ellie born 25/12/07 @ 10.03am weighing 7lb 8oz
Becky_Sleaf - Ruby Isabelle - Christmas Day 14.41 after 55 hours in labour & an emergency c section!
Anthillmob - baby Nathan born 30th Dec, 6lb 10oz
Shelvis - Baby Alexander Robert born 2:45am 6th January 7lb 7 1/2oz
nicola1982 - Baby Stephen Andrew born 12.37am 7th Jan 7lb 4oz
flis21 - Tomas at 7.42pm on 7th January (13 days late!!) weighing 7lb7.
Strawberry laces - Girl 7 January 2008, emergency c-section
Slapps - Charlie Allen born 12.02pm on the 9th Jan weighing 7lb 10oz
Yorkshirechick - Taylor James Quarmby born 12:32am on 12 January weighing 8lb 12oz
cazscoob - Charlie Morrison born 08:41 on 19th Jan weighing 8lb 8oz

PROBABLY GIVEN BIRTH BUT TOO WORN OUT TO LOG ON LIST
Usually allow 2 weeks after EDD before transferring to this list...
All January 2008 births appear to be accounted for!

mandy2383

Congratulations cazscoob and chocaholic110 :T

Cazscoob i hope my son is as nice to me, as yours is to you and gives me a good labour and quick.

Wow chocaholic what a birth story, hope you are feeling a little better.

Its good to hear you had a better day today miss_be

harding1985

We have a little one due 9th June :T Our first :cool:

chocaholic110

Just updating...

EDD
Phatmouse - 12th January 2008
Sunny Angel- 14th January 2008 (I think!!)
curly_em - 14 January 2008
tbourne - 20 Jan 08
Ciara111-22 Jan 08
pinkmilkplease - 26th Jan 08
Ella_ella_ella - 27th January 08
Cathie - 7th February 08
Melly74 - 17th February 08
Liley9 - 18 February 2008
miss_be - 20th February 08
Loopy-loo73 - 21 Feb 08
Bailey - 22 February 08
alison6692 - 24 February 2008
PiscesPrincess - 24th February 2008
Bun - 25th February
Ella29 - 27th February 08
3KIDSNOMONEY - 28th February 08
Dougggie - 2 March 08
Doobees - 4th March 08
svmitche - 4th March 2008
Purplegirluk1 - 6th March 2008
Elliesmum - 8 March 08
mandy2383 - 9th march 2008
ukbBandit - 15 March 2008
Heavenleigh - 24th march 08
Melg1973 - 24th march 08
Newleafer - 27th march 08
Pink Princess 1 - 29th March 08
tranquil - 2 April 2008
Girl And The City - 5 April 2008
redflame705 - 8th April 08
snugglepuss - 9th April 08
gemsygem (Sheel's daughter) 19th April 08
MonkeyLady - 20th April 08
JojoB - 20th April 2008
PinkPrincess 21st April 2008
machairs - 24th April 2008 (may change after scan)
debecca - 26th April 2008
Kelsi-Blu - 27th April 08
Katgoddess - 29th April 2008
lostbuckaroos - 2 May 2008 (although doc thinks that could be 2 weeks out!)
rjh090384 -3rd May 2008 (changed at 12 week scan)
Knotty29 - 16th May 2008
destiny_star2006 - 22 May 2008 (or could be 2 June!)
clarkey1000 - May 31st 2008
honeybe21 - june 2nd/3rd 2008
nik2108 - 11th June 2008
sunday_girl - 6th July 2008
skyeandeviesmummy - 13th July 2008
I love my Pomeranian - 15th July 2008
Jak - 18th July 2008
bethom - 20th July 2008
skintnutta - 21st July 2008
Blink_Blink - 3rd August 2008
ParadiseKidd - 6th August 2008
grad_gal25 - August 11th (My Birthday This was so not planned!)
Carol9uk - 13 August 2008
Scottish-Diva- August 2008
LindseyandMatthew 23rd August!

TTC LIST
Daisykate124
Cookiesncream
witchyroo
sjm
Fishcake_random
Lesleydejager
jo_jo
picklesmum
durham_girl
likabu
jo101
Pooky
emptypocketz
Miss_pink & Mr Pink
Boobylou
lilmrsmullen
jiblets1
Lillian06
ginvzt
Uisge10
CHARLIE54
keelykat
jpwhittle
lwcus78
bloomin freezing
coleys

BIRTH LIST
tammyfshr - Hector - 6th December 2007. 5 days late and weighing 9lbs 15 oz
Ebony: Alexandra Louise - 6th December @ 3.55 weighed 6lbs 4oz
helend - Neve Sarah - 19th December - 7lbs9.5oz
Suzukibabe- Adam thomas - 15th December, 2 weeks early - 4lbs 2oz.
Sugarcubed - Baby Jenna born 23rd Dec @ 19.43 weighing 6lb 13. Cutey and starting to form a little personality
Beakerange - Luke Joshua - 24th December @ 22.26 weighing 5lbs 13.5oz. 6 days overdue but an absolute star.
Scruffy96uk - baby Ellie born 25/12/07 @ 10.03am weighing 7lb 8oz
Becky_Sleaf - Ruby Isabelle - Christmas Day 14.41 after 55 hours in labour & an emergency c section!
Anthillmob - baby Nathan born 30th Dec, 6lb 10oz
Shelvis - Baby Alexander Robert born 2:45am 6th January 7lb 7 1/2oz
nicola1982 - Baby Stephen Andrew born 12.37am 7th Jan 7lb 4oz
flis21 - Tomas at 7.42pm on 7th January (13 days late!!) weighing 7lb7.
Strawberry laces - Girl 7 January 2008, emergency c-section
Slapps - Charlie Allen born 12.02pm on the 9th Jan weighing 7lb 10oz
Yorkshirechick - Taylor James Quarmby born 12:32am on 12 January weighing 8lb 12oz
chocaholic110 - Thomas Jacob born 4.08pm 18th January by emergency c-section weighing 5lb 8oz
cazscoob - Charlie Morrison born 08:41 on 19th Jan weighing 8lb 8oz

PROBABLY GIVEN BIRTH BUT TOO WORN OUT TO LOG ON LIST
Usually allow 2 weeks after EDD before transferring to this list...
All January 2008 births appear to be accounted for!