MSE Pregnancy Club 28

firebird082

Congratulations to Vanilla and Penguin on your new arrivals - sorry I've been MIA, been reading on my phone, but replying on there is a bit of a fafff....

We're all ready here now, so just playing a waiting game - and trying to keep myself occupied!

sweetbabu

Thanks for updating the list, Firebird. I agree- it's much more difficult to post everything on your phone!

Hoping all is well with Elles and littlies

I'm 39 weeks today and I've got another midwife appointment on Wednesday but nothing has been mentioned about inductions/sweeps anything.

I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea since 32 weeks, I've been bathing in and massaging with clary sage oil, I was having a run around with my nephews and a ball (OH was having kittens :rotfl:) for a good few hours at the weekend, I've been eating chillies on chillies, and have been pressing my own accupressure points. We've even tried having (very uncomfortable) sex. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing.

I have come to the conclusion that it's all hokum and baby will come when he's ready... or evicted on the last possible day.

Ratison wrote: »

I've just ordered a mattress protector, but these could be a good addition. We have a super king size bed and I don't fancy forking out for a new mattress if my waters break on it!

This is my thinking - ours is just king size, but it's much less than a year old and I don't fancy it being ruined! :eek:

april87 wrote: »

Sweet I've looked into a reflexologist now, but there doesn't seem to be many of them around up here. Messaged one and still waiting to hear back. Definitely worth doing from what I've heard. You would think with a large group of us, at least one of us would go early, so you never know.

If nothing else, it's a lovely, relaxing experience. So it's worth it for that alone!

Well, the law of averages would make you think so! My nephews were both late so, in my experience, boys are always late so...

arbrighton

I've finally managed to get back into our bed with DH the last two nights after a distressingly bad attempt on friday night but not feeling fab today- stomach slightly upset thanks to events over the weekend it seems. So dogs have been walked and that's it. Cancelled lunch plans ::(

Sadly BIL and SIL didn't manage to pass over the moses basket this weekend given they had their two and family events to trek between. It's fine but not helping me feel organised by any means

penguingirl

Thanks for everyone's congrats. We're doing fab but absolutely knackered. Definitely get those freezers stocked- ours has been a life saver!

For the list baby J was born on 2nd June and weighed 8lb 11.5oz

Good idea about the puppy training pads- I can't explain how much mess my waters made when they broke! I have got through about 10 of the pads they put down. It was pretty disgusting (but did not hurt at all to have them broken).

My brain isn't working and I'm on my phone, but my important tips are to really talk to OH about what you want and keep doing it throughout- he said some things that didn't help and some that did and I would shake my head or nod at him. At first he didn't say much during contractions, but the first half were so intense I found I went into this dark place of 'I can't do this' and got lost there, so him just saying well done or breathe helped me stay more with it. I told him that between contractions and he was then able to do what I needed. It really helped that we'd done some of the hypnobirthing together.

Make decisions about visitors- we had my parents on Friday (we came home at 4), in-laws Saturday and bil and SIL and nephews yesterday. Make sure they are very clear about times! Bil and SIL just turned up yesterday mid-morning- they had texted but we'd had a night of cluster feeding so I'd not slept at all, so OH had j whilst I slept, then it was feed again etc so we'd not checked phones! It was really unhelpful and afterwards I was really upset at the assumption that we should have been up, not sat in my pants in my bedroom... Ah well, we learn! Today and tomorrow are visitor free (we have insisted) and feel much better.

Hope others have progress soon- they are worth the wait. If you do get to induction, just go with it and switch back to your original plan as soon as/if you can.

arbrighton

Frankly given SIL and BIL have kids themselves penguin, they should know better, and at least to wait for a reply to a text

Mum has just texted to say Family friend who was a HV during her working years says I should have a whooping cough booster urgently. Ermm yep, done. I know they're trying to help and have known me since before I was born but argrrr

penguingirl

arbrighton wrote: »

Frankly given SIL and BIL have kids themselves penguin, they should know better, and at least to wait for a reply to a text

I know! We were super surprised. Youngest nephew is only a few months old! Especially as it was a WhatsApp message so they could see neither of us had been online. Ah well, we're definitely going to be clearer in the future. My parents had wanted to come over today, but I'd said no and they were fine with it- think they're coming on Wednesday. Also MIL suggested last night I give him cooled boiled water or formula to help until milk came in (he was inconsolable waiting last night!). Thankfully see said it to OH not me who just laughed and said the 1970s were calling... We just survived OH leaving the house for some shopping. Fingers crossed for a good night.

sweetbabu

I have to agree, that's a bit out of order at them just turning up. I know that people are excited to see the baby but they need to understand that the family needs time to get used to the massive changes!

I have to admit, that's what my family are like though, they'll just turn up as and when they like

Dd has taken to calling bump by the name she has chosen... which just so happens to be the name that we've chosen! She was saying last night "please call him *insert name here*, pleeeeeaaaasseee!!"

I'm feeling reasonably alright now. Though I have noticed that I've started having a bit of a nap again in the evening. I also feel like an upturned turtle :rotfl:

arbrighton

Midwife, running v late but done. Bloods taken for platelets. Anxiety score a bit better and she said I seem better in myself.

But bump measuring 38.5 at 36 weeks- I suspect if we weren't already going for a growth scan next week, we'd be booked in sharpish.

And it seems a bit more likely we might well be talking about induction for heffalump bean.

And we still don't have anywhere for bean to sleep

And I have to go out again in 10 minutes. Poor dogs and my head is not together, at all

penguingirl

Hope you're feeling a bit better now arbrighton, you are doing really well. I'm sure it doesn't reassure you, but my midwives never batted an eyelid that I was consistently about the 95th centile, even when I went over. And despite me and OH dismissing the accuracy of fundal measurements mine was only 2oz out. Growth scans apparently have an accuracy of within 15oz so even they're not great. My midwife at my ecv (after the consultant commented J 'wasn't small') said she finds bigger babies can often have better labours as they are so strong and I found that a helpful re-framing as the anxiety increased prior.

Sweetbabu- that is so cute about the name! We hadn't told anyone our name, but my mum had written a list of guesses- her top one was right with the first and middle names the other way round! And her shortlist was pretty much ours. We had no idea we were so predictable.

We've been out today and survived! The only tears were mine as I had a rush of hormones. J slept through the whole trip. We've been struggling a bit with feeding, mainly just not feeling confident and struggling to adjust to my milk coming in so I rang the local bf support group and they were amazing. She talked me through some latch techniques and positions, gave lots of reassurance and gave me the details of the local lactation clinics if we want to get anything checked out. One of the lactation consultants is going to call me tomorrow and see if we need a visit, but we're feeling more confident today having tried the suggestions and J seems happier. Definitely another reason to have a couple of visitor free days early on (for us it's been days 4 and 5 which seems about right).

A few things I've found helpful- the nursing tops I bought from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B019Z8BTD4/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 nursing bras https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01N3D25M1/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 nursing pillow https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0173WU0PM/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and water spray (this was the best thing ever in labour, the midwife was asking me about it after! Much more refreshing than a fan) https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/festival-essentials/water-cooling-mist-sprayer---assorted/5052089175396

arbrighton

Bump is now above 95th, but had been tracking about 90th, and it's the fact that we're going up centiles that seems to be making them cluck (est weight has gone from 70ish to 90th)