MSE Pregnancy Club 26

Birdie85

Wow, a 3 page birth plan Kerri?! What I know about childbirth wouldn't touch 3 pages! I'm going for the ignorance is bliss approach!

Do I *need* a birth plan? My MW hasn't mentioned anything about it (she doesn't talk about anything other than blood pressure, urine samples and the baby's heartbeat! ). I'm just well aware that I could waste so much time focussing on my perfect birth and making all of these plans to be serene and get through it with controlled breathing etc and I'll be so disappointed in myself when I end up begging for an epidural and growling at OH like I've been possessed! :rotfl: So I figure if I go in expecting it to be like that anyway then I can be happy when it isn't that bad!

Thanks for posting that link for the TENS hire MPM, I've been thinking about hiring one so it's a good reminder to get one sorted!

MrsBunny, I'm sleeping terribly ATM. I'm exhausted when I go to bed but I struggle to drop off, then I keep waking all night. Poor OH is beside himself because he's a light sleeper so if I'm awake, he's usually awake too. Keeps saying it's practice for when the baby's here but I feel terrible. We don't have a spare bed or I'd have moved into it weeks ago!

LannieDuck

Birdie85 wrote: »

Do I *need* a birth plan? My MW hasn't mentioned anything about it (she doesn't talk about anything other than blood pressure, urine samples and the baby's heartbeat! ). I'm just well aware that I could waste so much time focussing on my perfect birth and making all of these plans to be serene and get through it with controlled breathing etc and I'll be so disappointed in myself when I end up begging for an epidural and growling at OH like I've been possessed! :rotfl: So I figure if I go in expecting it to be like that anyway then I can be happy when it isn't that bad!

No, you don't need a birth plan if you have no real preferences and are happy to go with the flow. Might be helpful to have a chat with OH just so you're both on the same page - perhaps bullet point any important things, e.g. OH wants to cut the cord, or if you don't want to try a particular painkiller (someone upthread mentioned wanting to avoid pethidine), or if you're particularly keen to try a water birth.

Even if you write one, it's only a list of preferences - actual births often end up very far from birthplans.

My birthplan for DD1 was only as long as claire's little list on the previous page (I'll take any and all painkillers, and for various reasons I prefer an episiotomy to tearing... that was about it :P). I don't think midwives have time to read much more than that, and certainly won't be able to remember a lot when they sometimes deal with 3-4 women per day!

LannieDuck

mincepiemonster wrote: »

Hi Claire just a quick one if you did want to get a TENS machine - I used this place when I had DD - they were really good. The price includes a return envelope so you can just stick it in the letterbox after baby has arrived. I think I got it at 37 weeks - really simple to use. I need to get mine sorted this time around actually, just realised with the Xmas post etc it might take longer to arrive! It worked really well for me, I got to 7cm dilated with just a TENS machine and 2 paracetamol - although I did then cave and have an epidural :rotfl:

I hated my tens machine when I was in labour - had so many strange sensations going on in my body already, the last thing I wanted was to add to them.

OTOH, one of my friends got pretty much all the way through to pushing with just her tens and breathing exercises.

Birdie85

LannieDuck wrote: »

No, you don't need a birth plan if you have no real preferences and are happy to go with the flow. Might be helpful to have a chat with OH just so you're both on the same page - perhaps bullet point any important things, e.g. OH wants to cut the cord, or if you don't want to try a particular painkiller (someone upthread mentioned wanting to avoid pethidine), or if you're particularly keen to try a water birth.

Even if you write one, it's only a list of preferences - actual births often end up very far from birthplans.

My birthplan for DD1 was only as long as claire's little list on the previous page (I'll take any and all painkillers, and for various reasons I prefer an episiotomy to tearing... that was about it :P). I don't think midwives have time to read much more than that, and certainly won't be able to remember a lot when they sometimes deal with 3-4 women per day!

Thanks. I'll have a chat with OH and make sure we're on the same page about what I want and he knows about the skin to skin thing in case I can't do it, but that's pretty much it. I don't think he'll want to cut the cord because he's terribly squeamish and just being in the room will be a massive challenge for him but he might surprise me!

claire16c

I definitely want to avoid any painkillers that cause nausea as so many people say labour makes them sick I just know that will be me I don't want anything else topping it up!

I know DH will want to do the cord I think he's the least squeamish person I've ever met - which is good as I'm pretty bad! He once cut his finger quite bad and I managed to bandage it up but I did have my eyes half shut! Whereas if it was the other way round he wouldn't bat an eye lid. I'm more worried about potentially embarrassing & inappropriate stuff he always says when he gets nervous! God help the midwives dealing with his bad jokes!

kerri_dfw

I was told at my 36w appointment to start thinking about a birth plan, but only actually wrote mine last night. I think it's mostly so that you sit down and think about what you would like to happen, take into account special circumstances and get both you and your birth partner on the same page. My midwife didn't even read mine at my 38w appointment an hour ago just told me where to put it in my notes.

Claire - my OH being funny is the reason he's now banned from the hospital if I go into labour when he's out on his works xmas party on Thursday. I don't think I'd be able to handle labour and him being "funny" I can just imagine the type of things he'd say.


Just back from my 38w appointment, baby is now fully engaged locked and loaded!!! They're sending me for ANOTHER ruddy scan though, eugh. Two weeks ago I measured 28cm according to her tape, this week I measured 33cm! That's a 5cm increase!!! She also didn't have the bed fully flat, so I think she's just rubbish with a measure. I wouldn't mind but I'm so fed up of going for scans and I've got a friend coming over for coffee this afternoon I walked to the surgery and back, 1 mile each way, and the BH haven't stopped since I got to her office. They're slightly painful across the front of my pelvis too. I think I should probably get on and wrap the Christmas presents this afternoon to be on the safe side or they may never get wrapped.

sjlou

Morning ladies,

Hello everyone graduating from 12-24 mnths, nice to see some more familiar names.

Sorry I've been a little bit lurky that last week or so. It doesn't seem like I've had much baby related stuff going on.
And I've been v busy trying to getting all my christmas shopping done, almost there I think!

I did drag a hung over OH around looking at prams/car seats etc yday. I think we've decided on the babystyle oyster. Anyone got experience of this pram? Or consider it but have decided on something else?
The plan is to get it second hand and then just get a new carseat and isofix base to go with it. Just cannot justify £600 on it all!!:eek: Plus who know how much it will get used or whether I'll even like once I'm using it.

Anyway....

Lots of chatter since I last logged on!

becca sorry to hear the nausea is back, hope its just as blip. Fingers crossed mine doesn't return.

wow kerri well done on getting the birth plan done. I haven't even thought about that yet. Although I think as Kynthia mentioned, Ill wait till I've done my nct classes too. I've already got some ideas from the yoga class (teacher also runs nct classes), and definitely want to stay at home for as long as possible.

mincepiemonster thanks for the tens link. Must remember to ask the mw if they're available at the hosp or if I need to get my own.

Just had OH on the phone, he's got man flu now *sigh*

Sidney88

Sjlou - I got a second hand oyster on ebay. The frame, carrycot, sitting up seat and rain cover for £30. When hubby went to collect it it was quite dusty as the seller had builders in. He must have pulled a funny face, as he knocked £10 off so only cost us 20!

:money:

There's lots of oysters on there

I managed to find a maxi cosi car seat and base for £5, also on ebay. The lady selling took a really unfortunate photo, the velvet insert looked mouldy, really it's just where the light catches it.

The most expensive thing will be buying the adapters to fit the car seat to the buggy frame.

abis21

Hi Ladies :wave:

Time is flying past for me - Aliona is 2 weeks old now and is almost forgiven for keeping me waiting so long :rotfl: She is ever such a good baby, and has regained her birth weight and added 5oz to it at weigh in yesterday.

Here's a lickle piccie of Aliona that my sister took:



We have a photoshoot tonight with the same lady that did my bump shoot so I am excited for that. Need to start deciding what outfits to wear/take and what props I might need! So hope that Aliona is ok and that the photos come out ok.

Its my first day home alone today as DH is back properly from paternity leave now and no visitors all day - booo We've had a good morning together so far though and I'm managing to get through a few jobs - altho my job for now is to sit down with a cuppa :cool:

I'm loving the facebook group still - big thanks to Becca who seems to be managing all the requests to join. I don't get as much time to log on to MSE at the mo as we've been inundated with visitors and have also had to try and squeeze all out christmas prep during the last 2 weeks - can't believe how quickly it is sneaking up on us!! Think I have finally sorted most of the presents now. Just got the anxious wait to see if they all turn up cos I leave things too late :rotfl: I'm so blaming Aliona for that one tho - couldn't focus on anything whilst I was still pregnant...

Has anyone heard from Lily? Hope she is doing ok with her little girl xx

Good luck for those who are due to meet their babies soon - tis all very exciting!! :j:j

sjlou

Sidney88 wrote: »

Sjlou - I got a second hand oyster on ebay. The frame, carrycot, sitting up seat and rain cover for £30. When hubby went to collect it it was quite dusty as the seller had builders in. He must have pulled a funny face, as he knocked £10 off so only cost us 20!

:money:

There's lots of oysters on there

I managed to find a maxi cosi car seat and base for £5, also on ebay. The lady selling took a really unfortunate photo, the velvet insert looked mouldy, really it's just where the light catches it.

The most expensive thing will be buying the adapters to fit the car seat to the buggy frame.

I'm watching a few on ebay. Don't mind which colour, I can always buy a new colour pack to go on it if it is hideous!