***** January 2015 Mummy's *****

[ceecee22]

I packed my hospital bag last weekend, but it was only because my son was 3 weeks early so I thought I better had. Now I've done that and finished my Christmas shopping, I feel a lot more relaxed than I did. Guess it's because if this little lady does put in an early appearance then I have a bag ready and don't have to stress about last minute Christmas stuff.

2 weeks left at work, which equates to 4.5 working days. Desperate for maternity leave again now.

 

[Jolly81]

I haven't done anything!!! Although my priority is packing my bag tomorrow- I've had such strong Braxton hicks and she's so low my fanny is seriously swollen it just really feels like I'm not going to make it to January!!! Famous last words I know but that's how I feel.

Anyway, the BH last night were so strong I moaned out loud and was convinced they were contractions!!!! Three in an hour but nothing since. Going to keep and eye on things now! X

 

[ceecee22]

Jolly you sound exactly like me. Swollen fanny and constant braxton hicks. I had the same constant braxton hicks with my son, but I didn't notice swollen fanny with him. She is kicking and moving like mad constantly in the evenings, so I don't think labour is that imminent as I think they go quite calm when it's time. Feels like it's going to be a long few weeks though.

 

[Jolly81]

Ah that's quite interesting, I couldn't remember if they got more active or less before labour- I definitely didn't have swollen foofoo with Freddie, but he was breech for ages and never ever got this low down.

I feel like in going to go crazy wondering with this one! X

 

[tinselcat]

Good timing - I googled "constant braxton hicks" this afternoon as I was getting them every minute at one point (although it didn't hurt, it was just slightly distracting while I was trying to work!). Glad to hear it's a normal thing at this stage!

I didn't realise all these extra painless ones were BH until the midwife pointed out I was having them earlier this week - she said "look your tummy has gone all pointy and one side is bigger than the other & it's really firm, that's a Braxton Hicks".

The weekend - HOORAY!!!!!!

 

[Jolly81]

Ooh I didn't realise that either TC- mine last night were really seriously crampy, like I expect contractions to feel like?!

Baby was going nuts after my dinner tonight, she was kicking out all over the place, I just lay back and watched her for about half an hour- I felt knackered after she quietened down again!! Haha!!!

I love watching the squirming

 

[BunnyN]

I don't think LO ever went quiet before labour but then nothing made her quiet, lol. I remember her kicking her way through labour too.

Its funny that everyone is talking about BH. I just came on and I'm laying down to rest because I've had loads of really intense BH in the last hr. We got home a bit late so I've left OH to feed, bath and put LO TO BED. They do say if you get more than a certain amount of BH in an hr or they settle into a pattern you should drink lots of water and lay down for a while. If they carry on for too long like that you should get checked out because premature labour stats like that for some women. I do think its pretty common though. I seem to get a lot of BH. I've already been noticing them for months but now they are much more intense and getting quite uncomfortable. I do find they tend to go away when I lie down though.

 

[tinselcat]

Bunny - I noticed that lying down seemed to help, too! I was getting them mostly when sat in my chair at the computer.
I also read some internet advice from other mums-to-be that dehydration can cause more of them too so having a drink makes total sense

Jolly - I remember your little girl was partially engaged a couple of weeks ago - perhaps she has moved a bit lower since then and that's why the contractions are hurting a bit more? My boy is in completely the wrong position and I'm not experiencing any crampiness yet. Is your hospital bag packed?

And it's sooooo cute to watch them wiggle around. I would just prefer that my little one would get super-excited during the day, not while I'm laying down to go to sleep naughty baby lol!!

 

[tinselcat]

One for Carnat - the midwife at my labour training session this week said that ladies who don't tear during their first birth are extremely unlikely to tear in subsequent births, so if I recall correctly then I guess this is good news for you!

Apparently 90% of ladies do get some form of tear - erk. My mum needed hundreds of stitches with me as I was a forceps baby, for some reason I feel guilty about that now?!

 

[CARNAT22]

Reading my notes they said I had a graze and I remember MW saying it might sting when I wee. It didn't and I never felt any discomfort.

Def didnt tear though. I had a very long delivery - 2 hours - normally they don't let you push for that long as it can distress baby but we were both being monitored. I think that helped with not tearing. Tears normally occur when things happen too quickly.

Trick is to listen to MW. They really guide you. I remember at one point the head was crowning and they told me to stop pushing. .... MW kind of helped my skin stretch around the baby's head... sorry that sounds so gruesome but I absolutely loved the pushing part. It was amazing.

Last pregnancy I swore blind I didn't have BH but I think I was mistaking them for baby moving? I think I'm the same this time as well. I really can't tell if she is moving or im having a BH? Some 'movements' are uncomfortable im guessing they could be BH?

Everyone is still asleep. Why am I awake? Grrrr.

Got my nephews 2nd birthday party today. So lots of crazy kids on too much sugar. Yikes

X

 

[Mrs_W]

Tinsel, my belly does that all the time. Higher at one side and tight. I assumed it was baby pushing up to one side, no idea it was Brixton hicks.

 

[Katy79]

Nursery painted!

Anxiously waiting for new carpet to be fitted hopefully next week so I can start washing & packing hospital bag and get furniture into room!

6 weeks today............eeeek

We had NHS anti-natal class yesterday - I was answering all the questions, everyone else just sat there - midwife said she was glad I was there...top of the class ha ha!!

 

[Jolly81]

Katy snap!!! Although I'll actually have baby in 5+2 at the latest eek!!!!

I say it every week but I can't believe how far we are!!!!

 

[spallerina]

Good to hear I'm not the only one having loads of BH - there was one night this week where I got to the point of timing to see how regular they were because they were coming so frequently and keeping me awake! I eventually dozed off and had settled when I woke. For a while was having the "should I ring labour ward?" dilemma though!

I really need to finish off my hospital bag - I made a start and put in toiletries, breast pads, maternity pads and nappies, but that's it. Need to get some cheap pants and nighties as I'm not keen on disposable knickers and have no appropriate nighties in case I end up staying in at all. Baby clothes are mostly all washed and put away so no excuse for not throwing some of those in!

 

[BunnyN]

I find it hard to tell the difference between BH and baby moving sometimes too. Sometimes he will really dig in and it feels quite uncomfortable. I read you can tell the difference because if its baby its just one part of your bump that's hard, where the baby is pushing. If its BH your whole bump goes hard.

BH are not suposed to hurt but mine did sometimes starting about 35 weeks last time. The MW thought it might mean LO came a bit early but she was 10 days late.

 

[ceecee22]

I've got a foot wedged in my rib and it's blooming painful. I had this with my son...his foot seemed permanently wedged there and it was horrible. Hope this isn't regular too, as it will make the last few weeks pretty uncomfortable again.

My MLU have just phoned to cancel my tour this afternoon too. They have 2 women in labour today. It's a really small unit and they only had 340 births for the whole of last year, so less than 1 a day usually. Just my luck that they have double their usual amount today haha. They've provisionally booked me in again for tomorrow afternoon though, so fingers crossed it won't be cancelled again.

3 weeks until I hit 37 weeks (my ticker is wrong) and I will start analysing every twinge as my son arrived bang on 37 weeks. Reckon this one will be overdue though which will make the final 5 weeks up to 42 weeks feel very, very long!

 

[BunnyN]

Ceecee-hope you get the tour tomorrow. As long as they are not crowded the day you go into labour! I was thinking you were due the same day as me but I think thas going by our tickers. Actually the dating scan put me forward by a few days but I was tracking ovulation so decided to stick with my dates. LO was 10 days late so I'm not expecting this one early but probably it will be me who has the baby at 37 weeks this time and you'll be 10 days late just to throw us off!

 

[ceecee22]

I was put forward a couple of days at my scan and I think I may have O'd a couple of days earlier. than usual the month we conceived. Not sure it matters in the scheme of things though, it's only a couple of days. Haha, would be funny if you ended up early and me late as we're both expecting the opposite!

I think our MLU has 2 birthing pools, and 3 birthing suites so hopefully even if there is another couple in there I will still be ok. Just hope I get a pool again as my son was a water birth and it helped with pain relief so, so much. By the time I was finally asking for something stronger than gas and air I was examined and 10cm so straight onto pushing.

 

[CARNAT22]

All this talk of giving birth at 37w is scaring me lol. As I'll be in my office .....

James was 9 days late so im not too worried. Would prefer her to be a little late actually.

I was set on using the pool last time but when it came down to it I actually didn't want to be anywhere near water. I'd had a few baths at home in early labour and they were horrid... I know the pools are very different but I just didn't fancy it on the day. I ended up on actual labour ward in the end anyway but I could have used the pool when I first went in?

James is still asleep. I think this is the latest he has ever slept? The party yesterday must have proper knackered him out. I've been up since 7am .....

X

 

[ChickenDinner]

Hope the party went well Carnat

I resisted the urge to sort the spare room, and hubby finally did it yesterday

I haven't done the hospital bag yet - I'm in a quandary about how much of the premature clothes to wash. She was estimated to be 5lb3 a week ago and is due another growth scan in a week, I guess I'll be induced not too long after that. But then there's a margin of error with the growth scans so she could be smaller than the estimates. Obviously anything I wash can't be returned for a larger size, but then I'm wondering if this really matters and it's better to be prepared than to save a few quid (I don't have any expensive stuff, it's supermarket brand stuff). Decisions, decisions

I had loads of BH earlier in pregnancy but don't seem to have any now, unless it's happening in my sleep