****February 2019 Mamas****

[Phillipa]

How is everyone doing today?

I've been on an albeit slow, mission today, getting dinners batch cooked and frozen ready to eat during February. I've been standing up for 5 hours and my pelvis is now absolutely killing me, but we have a selection of different meals to eat during Feb, so that's one less thing we have to worry about with a newborn.

Gemsey, I'm with you on the whole sleeping thing! Turning over in bed is now a 4 stage process and by the time I've moved position, my son has had a fidget and I'll need to pee again. I end up on all fours backing my way off the bed because of my SPD! It's a nightmare at the moment. That and I can't seem to "settle" until at least 3am, so I'm up much later than usual and therefore it's affecting how late I sleep at night. Just a vicious circle really..

3 weeks on Wednesday until I hit my due date! I'm gonna start taking bets from friends if he'll rock up early, on time or late haha.

 

[Kholl]

I am 37 weeks tomorrow, which just does not feel real...

I KNOW I'll go late because that's what my body does, so I am just assuming I have another month left at this point. A month from today is Valentine's Day, which would make me 9 days late. I hope not to go later than that, but who knows... it would be cute to have a Valentine's Day baby, so I'm just gonna put my money on that!

 

[chattychar1990]

Massive congrats to you @Puglover she is absolutely gorgeous and like a real life dolly. Xx

 

[Donna88]

3 weeks on Wednesday I'll be 39 weeks so that might be when I'm having her if they suggest a c-section. That's a really weird thought to be honest; but one I'm quite happy with.

Can't wait for my scan on Wednesday. She def hasn't turned yet so we'll see if she changes her mind in the next couple of days.

Not sure what to do with myself this afternoon, whether to sort some bits out, try and make a thing or two or just chill after work. I am quite tired but reckon I could do something if I pushed myself.

 

[Phillipa]

37 weeks today! 3 weeks now till the due date, I hope he doesn't run over because right now I'm going mad due to the insomnia I'm suffering.
2am and I'm wide awake and not managed to sleep since I came to bed at 10pm..That and my human has had 2 sets of hiccups since.

Anyone else suffering with insomnia still?

 

[Donna88]

I'm so so on the sleep front. Not sleeping as great as I used to but equally not as bad as I have in the past. I'm up 2 or 3 times in the night but then not struggling to go back to sleep when I'm done with going to the toilet or rolling over.


36 weeks today, so 4 weeks until my due date or 3 weeks to c-section date if it comes to that... I'm equally hoping that I don't go over (or at least not too far over) I think she's quite a big baby so arriving before due date would be ideal. Although I'd still like her to come in Feb rather than Jan - just so we can have my brothers wedding out of the way in all honesty haha.

Scan day today, seems a bit pointless unless they are checking position of the cord and amount of fluid as well and going to speak to me about what we can do as you can feel that she is still transverse so if they do just say oh she's transverse we'll scan again in x-weeks then it seems a bit pointless as they could have just had a feel to say that. Luckily my scan is in the morning so I'm not going to be waiting around all day to find out what's going on anyway.

 

[Pennypie]

Hi everyone!!

Sleep is still rubbish, I don’t think that I will ever have a full night again, ever!!

Just had my growth scan, now at 8lb 2oz with 3 weeks to go so in my head it isn’t as bad as it was a few weeks ago. If she isn’t here, got another scan booked for 3 weeks and I’ll also have an early sweep around then too. Doc was very reassuring and felt lots better than last time. Xx

 

[Donna88]

Glad you're feeling better about it.

My scan went well - she is head down. I was shocked but I think it happened the night before last as I was saying at work I woke up and I felt like she'd shifted but then I was feeling a lot of kicks to the side. They said she is head down but she's got her legs to the side. I still have a bump on the other side, so not sure what that is.

So happy though as it means we're back on track for my natural birth hopefully either water or an active one at least.

 

[Pennypie]

Ah, that is really good news. Must’ve taken a massive weight off your shoulders. xx

 

[chattychar1990]

Glad you're feeling better about it.

My scan went well - she is head down. I was shocked but I think it happened the night before last as I was saying at work I woke up and I felt like she'd shifted but then I was feeling a lot of kicks to the side. They said she is head down but she's got her legs to the side. I still have a bump on the other side, so not sure what that is.

So happy though as it means we're back on track for my natural birth hopefully either water or an active one at least.

Brilliant news Donna that she has shifted, i bet you are over the moon that you can now get your water birth x

 

[Puglover]

Donna - so happy for you, see it's all good. Prob her bottom at the side...my Daisy was the same with little feet sticking out my left side.

Honestly girls, enjoy the freedom to lie down and rest as I am literally up all night long now! Feeding, changing runny poo, toilet, repeat lol!!! I fall asleep sat up feeding by the early hours, it's brutal. Last night I got maybe an hour once or twice, which was better than nothing. Sat in my PJs all day wondering if I can squeeze a nap somewhere in the day to survive. I do believe our bodies have to somehow gear up for all of this, and prepare, and it means you are not far off birth now.

 

[alwayscoffee]

Glad you're feeling better about it.

My scan went well - she is head down. I was shocked but I think it happened the night before last as I was saying at work I woke up and I felt like she'd shifted but then I was feeling a lot of kicks to the side. They said she is head down but she's got her legs to the side. I still have a bump on the other side, so not sure what that is.

So happy though as it means we're back on track for my natural birth hopefully either water or an active one at least.

So happy for you, I know this is what you were really wanting. Must feel so relieved!!

 

[Donna88]

Thanks ladies, yes such a relief but also a bit of a shock as we weren't expecting it means I can get on with having some raspberry leaf tea and also they measured her and think she's about 6lb2 so a nice healthy size. I was just saying to my husband basically anytime now really (well more like any time from next week but I wouldn't be too worried if it started now with us knowing she's a good size already) at least we know she's in position so don't need to worry about if I go into labour before a section is scheduled. Phew just so much relief.

They also said she has hair; and they double checked and she still looks like a little lady. Haha

When I got to work they'd done us a surprise baby shower for me and the other pregnant lady who finishes tomorrow (I'm so jealous of her; can't believe I have another two weeks once she's finished haha) although you never know if this one does make an early appearance I might not make it to the start of my maternity leave

I reckon she'll be late rather than early though

 

[Kholl]

OMG Donna!!! I can't believe she turned! That's incredible, I am so glad to hear this.

Phillipa, my insomnia comes and goes, it does get pretty bad still, but it's worst in my first trimester (my hormones in the first tri are AWFUL, they make me an insane person who never sleeps haha). If I keep on top of my iron and magnesium it does seem to help. I feel you, insomnia is the worst. Makes me insane.

AlwaysCoffee, how are you feeling??

Puglover, yeah these early days are no joke. Are your boys helping a lot?

Penny, ironically my biggest baby was my easiest labor (she was 9 lbs). I have heard that it's a "thing", bigger babies and easier labor... I didn't tear either, if that helps ease your mind!

I had a total freaking meltdown last night. The nesting instinct is overwhelming, and it's not just like "I'm gonna clean and organize!" It's like "We need to purge and donate 75% of all our crap and repaint everything and the whole house is ALL WRONG" kind of thing. Yesterday for some reason everyone was in a TERRIBLE mood, the kids were SCREAMING and melting down constantly, and my husband was working late (he got home around 10pm) and the kids had been losing it all night and I spent the entire time using every ounce of self-control I possess to stay calm with them while constantly stepping on/tripping over/running into all the random CRAP in our house (toys, books, markers, puzzle pieces, just all the stuff that ends up on the floor with lots of kids) and feeling completely overwhelmed and desperate and helpless at the same time. Then my youngest started coughing that horrible-sounding seal-bark cough and I was up until 2am with her, all the time thinking... how the HECK am I going to do this with a newborn? At least now that baby is on the inside I'm not worried about him/her getting sick. But I just could not imagine caring for my sick 2-year-old while waiting for the baby to wake up and need to nurse... I just had this total panicky meltdown thinking about how the hell I'm going to manage and how the hell I'm going to purge and organize the house in the next month and get it to the point that I'm not CONSTANTLY either cleaning or stressed about the amount of clutter and crap we have that we just don't need or don't have the right place for. My poor husband walked in the door and I absolutely unloaded on him, I was weeping and freaking out and he calmly said "ok, what do we need to get rid of in here?" and I just looked around frantically feeling like my brain was short-circuiting and I was like "YOU'RE NOT SAYING THE RIGHT THING" and then unleashed on HIM when he was calmly trying to help. It was awful!!!

I am feeling more like myself today but the hormonal swings like that are really overwhelming and leave me paralyzed and really scared of how I'm going to cope. I don't worry about daytime so much but my husband often works late (about 3 night shifts a week, and he often doesn't come home until 2am or later) and it's the night time parts that terrify me the most. He won't be able to take more than a week off from night shifts after baby arrives so I really won't have much help before I'm on my own again.

 

[Donna88]

Kholl, I can completely understand your worries - however you will be fine. You will cope fantastically. Most of your panic will be down to hormones and once baby gets here and things settle down you'll just slip back into how you managed before you got pregnant.


I'm so achey today, I knew I would be. On our way to the hospital traffic was awful - luckily husband had decided to come with me and we'd tried to go in convoy with him following me (as we park at my work and walk around when I have hospital appointments) but there must have been an accident or something as we were at a standstill and nothing was coming the other way. We were talking on the phone through the Bluetooth while driving in so decided to go the other way; managed to turn the cars around and I followed him as I don't actually know the other way. But it resulted in us having to rush around from my work to the hospital instead of being there half an hour early as planned. When we were walking back around I did say to my husband that my legs were going to ache tonight and they do; my groin area does as well. I need to keep reminding myself I only have 6 weeks of this at the most. 6 weeks seems like such a long time but I know in reality it really isn't too bad at all.

I do wonder when this one will arrive. If we'll still be pregnant by my brothers wedding or if we'll have an extra guest with us... or even if we'll make it if she decides to start coming too close to his wedding date (really hope that doesn't happen as it would be such a shame if we weren't there for him) although I'm sure they'd understand.

 

[Kholl]

Thanks so much, Donna. My hormones are really wild this time around, everything feels more intense. Physically I am doing much better than I have any right to be doing, especially with baby 4. My mind, on the other hand, is a whirlwind. My nesting drive is a thousand times more intense than it was in ANY of my pregnancies at any point. I can't sit still, I can't stop. Which is great, cause SO much has to be done to make this tiny house work for a new family member. But also my mind is spinning 24/7 with anxiety and worry over a new baby and how I'll cope. I don't think I was this worried with the others. In fact I KNOW I wasn't. It doesn't help that my youngest has been seriously sick a couple times this cold/flu season, and it makes me worry terribly about the newborn catching something from her (or any of the kids) and being hospitalized or worse.

Last night I had a few intense, painful contractions in a row and I knew it wasn't actual labor, but it put me in that mindset and all I could think was: I am NOT ready!!! I mean, I can't wait to meet this baby, I am head over heels that we get to have another baby. But the logistics of everything... I just do not feel ready, and I feel like this pregnancy FLEW by like I can't even believe.

Oh well - another trip to IKEA today should help me feel more put together, ha!

 

[Donna88]

When she gets here you'll be fine; just think puglover had the house move after Daisy got here and they managed brilliantly.

Love an Ikea shop.

I'm starting to worry about the dog a lot more; not sure how he'll react and I'm not looking forward to when I'm left alone and having to deal with him and a newborn.

 

[Kholl]

Donna, it's amazing how tenaciously our minds cling on to something to worry about... does the dog have an outside area or a crate?

 

[Kholl]

And thank you

 

[Phillipa]

Evening ladies.

Donna, so glad to hear your LO has finally got into the right position, bet you're so pleased!

Kholl, hormones are a bitch and sorry to hear you're having bad days, get your arse to IKEA, it always makes me feel better haha.

I noticed in the last day that I started having very very mild period like cramps and had some backache this afternoon too, even though I've not done anything to agrivate my back. Not sure if body prepping for labor or just general aches and pains..