★ October & November 2020 Hedgehogs ★

[co_fostermom]

Hey all! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for so long. There is SO much that I missed in the last week, so unfortunately I won't be able to respond properly but I have skimmed through everyone's posts since I last posted.

Pine - SUPER excited for you!

Joanna - I'm so sorry you're feeling overwhelmed. Pleas know you are totally not alone. I went off on DH last week because I was feeling so crazy stressed from the move. So I think it's normal to feel that way right now, especially with the extra stress of your kids being home from school. You will be great with your kids and the baby. It will be okay. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Also, remember, showers are a basic human necessity, NOT a luxury. Don't feel guilty for a second if you need to lock yourself in the bathroom for an hour to just calm yourself down and give yourself some space.

Victoria - Baby Leo is PRECIOUS! I'm so glad he's doing really well.

Fern - Yay holiday! I hope you get the much needed rest and relaxation you've been waiting for.

Catmum - thinking about you. Hope you're doing okay.

Jess - I'm sorry you were feeling shaky and yes I get super annoyed too when doctors don't give me straight answers, but it's usually because they honestly don't know without doing tests.

AFM - the move was insane and stressful. My plans for a calm, organized day flew out the window almost first thing. I wanted to be the first person at the new place so I could direct people to put boxes in the correct rooms. That didn't happen. Things that should have gone straight to storage ended up in our living room. It was a complete nightmare and at one point I raised my voice at DH in front of one of our friends because I was so upset how everything had gone down. I mean, we couldn't even hardly walk or move in the apartment it was so full. Anyway, so what should have taken a weekend has taken over a week now, but we are very close to having everything settled now. My project for today is FINALLY working on the nursery.

Had a growth check today and Baby is measuring small once again (7th %) so I have to have two appointments a week now. Oh well. I'm in the home stretch at any rate. BH have picked up. I'm just hoping he holds on for a few more weeks so we can really get the apartment settled and feeling like home. Here's a sweet picture of Love Bug from today.

 

[JessdueJan]

@victorial8 so glad Leo is doing so well, he is gorgeous!!

@Joannaxoxo sending hugs I have had a few complete breakdowns where I have felt the kids have taken the brunt of it, the fact your feeling a bit run down with the kids cold won't help too. Totally understandable though so try not to dwell on it... I hope you feel much better soon.

@Fern81 enjoy your nesting time!!

So my consultant has just doubled my metformin and not gone down the insulin route and has offered me sweeps starting from Thursday so I'm hoping maybe I'll go into labour some point soon after my first sweep. Will be trying to keep as active as possible to encourage it to work without tiring myself out too much so I struggle in labour. Need to find the balance xx

 

[JessdueJan]

@co_fostermom sorry the move didn't go as planned, they are always stressful enough without it not working out the way you imagined.
Glad you are finally getting some time to work on the nursery now, how exciting!!
Gorgeous picture of love bug there xx

 

[CC94]

I am here and doing well! Been homeschooling my newly six and soon to be nine year old (kindergarten and third grade) while trying to contain my one year old... so that’s been a learning curve. Certainly takes my whole day. I am definitely an avid stalker, always love logging on and seeing how everyone’s doing, I’m sorry I know I don’t hardly respond

I love the Leo update I’m so glad he’s doing so well, what a stud. Can’t believe all our littles will be earth side soon

 

[JessdueJan]

@CC94 lovely bump!! Good luck with the home schooling, I don't envy you there. I was so glad to get mine back to school and very relieved that schools have stayed open even as tighter restrictions are gradually being brought back in! xx

 

[Fern81]

Co_foster ughh that sounds like a horrible move! So glad for your sake that most of it’s done! It’s good to see that you’re having more frequent checks of love bug again. He is so cute! Almost done!

Jess that sounds like good news. I hope it sends you into labour very soon and that your sugar levels will remain stable.

CC94 you look very cute I’m so glad I don’t have to try and homeschool anymore, are you enjoying it? Many of our learners opted to do hybrid learning and stay home instead of coming back to school. Some of my tutoring students have also switched to home schooling. But it’s definitely not for me. Good luck

As I’ve mentioned before it’s summer here now so hopefully we won’t get a second wave of covid & related shutdowns. We’d have to sell the house if husband has to stop working again.

Day 1 of my holiday has been fab. I booked our vacation, (Sun-Wednesday at my favorite reserve!!), ate krispy kreme for breakfast and slept in until 10:30 lol then went to buy a few more things for my hospital bag and exchange baby stuff that I got from mil for stuff that I actually need and like.
My hospital bag is done! I just need to throw in my phone and a set of day clothes for when I return home; but will do that at the last minute. Literally everything else is packed
Now I’m just hoping that my parents will actually be home when I go into labour... they will be on holiday until the 27th of October when I’m already 39 weeks! 7 hours’ drive away. The alternative to them looking after ds is of course husband’s parents coming to stay at my house <shudder>.

 

[co_fostermom]

Fern - I hope your parents will make it on time!

CC94 - so glad to hear from you! Glad you're doing well.

Jess - I hope the metformin doesn't bother your stomach and that the sweeps go well.

 

[Catmumof4]

Hey all fern i really hope your parents make it on time

Co I'm sorry the move didn't go to plan! Hate it when my plans get messed up

Cc lovely bump!

Victoria what a little stunner so glad doing well and off the oxygen!!

Sorry if I missed anyone heads all over the place!

great big thank you to everyone that sent me well wishes. I had my scan mon to check Doppler and fluid both were normal then I was supposed to be seeing my consultant (ms velosamy). 2 hours late my appointment i got called in and theres the consultant that hates me (Mr kidway) he's a dick to the extreme. Told me my pain didn't matter, the fact I fell didn't matter and even tho 37 weeks is term if I was induced then I would end up with a child that has global development delay due to lack of oxygen while I'm giving birth and no way was he authorising an induction or giving me any plan as he wasn't my consultant. He said if I was his patient I wouldn't be induced until 40 weeks. Naturally I had an emotional and mental breakdown big time. I had to leave the hospital for some air and a huge cry. My partner bless him just held me while I cried and the I went back in for my monitoring as I'm still not feeling her move. I made a complaint about kidway as he knows my mental health is really bad and he made me feel almost suici dal. They kept me in overnight Monday so I could see my consultant on Tues whenever she managed to get the time to come to the ward.

She finally came about 2pm and we had a very lengthy discussion about the pros and cons and all that and she was amazing. I wanted 37 weeks she wanted 39 so we went 38 but my mum who was my main childcare has decided to book a holiday next week but bavk fri so we agreed my induction is booked in for next sunday the 4th oct.

Everything was good I had my plan finally!! But then my mother decided that she doesn't want to look after my 2 year old. She is a massive handful. Definitely on the autistic spectrum. My mother refused to come and meet her regularly so Evelyn kicks off when she is left with them. But long story short my mum was awful about Evelyn and no way was I putting my daughter in that environment. Cue second breakdown in 1 day. Luckily my nan and grandad who we see every week has said they will have her and my oldest and the others are at their dad's.

Sorry for the long post just needed to vent lol

 

[Fern81]

Aaaahhh catmum what a mission! But at least now you’re sorted and have your baby to look forward to in a little bit more than a week! I’m really keeping everything crossed that it all goes well and according to plan. So close! Can’t wait to welcome another baby on here.

Speaking of which... Pineberry

 

[JessdueJan]

@Catmumof4 so glad you have a plan, sorry it took a bit of time and emotional breakdowns to get to that point but sometimes having a plan is half the battle. Glad your nan and grandad have stepped in to have the kids... My 7 year old is on the spectrum and he is hard work. I've been lucky in that my mam has always been good with him but it's taken many years for my dad to get on board and be able to deal with him more so that it isn't always just down to my mam to help if I need it.

Had my first sweep yesterday and not going to lie, I came away feeling very disheartened and disappointed. I am 1cm dilated but cervix still 2cm long. I went for a long walk and bounced on my ball but apart from being quite violently sick a few times at about 11 last night I don't feel the sweep has done anything at all xx

 

[co_fostermom]

Catmum - I'm so sorry you had to go through that with that awful doctor. I just don't understand how "professionals" can be so incredibly rude. Part of their job is bedside manner. I'm glad you were able to actually see your consultant though and that you were able to set a plan. I'm also glad your grandparents are able to look after your kiddos.

Jess - I have no experience with sweeps or childbirth in general, but I have read that sweeps can take a few days from women here and also elsewhere. Give it some time, keep going for walks and bouncing on that ball.

 

[Catmumof4]

Thanks ladies he was a bell end but glad the plan is sorted.

Jess I'm with u with being disappointed I had an attempted sweep when I saw the consultant and she said that the outside bit was a tiny bit open but the inside was closed. Was really disappointed!!

 

[Catmumof4]

I'm due another one on Monday x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

Hi everyone,

catmum- what an awful doctor that one seemed to be! Glad you were able to talk to you doctor and get things sorted.

Jess - never experienced a sweep, will your doctor do another one at your next appointment?

Sorry if I missed anyone else, I’m on my phone now as I’ve finished work. I ended up catching my kid’s cold. Had a pretty bad couple days with sinus pressure and a lot of sneezing. Now feeling a lot better but feel a cough coming on... I think it’s phlegm related. Also been homeschooling my kids as they can’t return to school for 14 days due to the runny noses they had last weekend. So not quite what I envisioned when finishing work, don’t get to rest like I wanted but that’s life. Thankfully my mental state is back to normal and feeling more myself.

 

[Catmumof4]

It's really good your feeling more yourself Now! Sorry the kids are off, that isn't even a sign of covid a runny nose. It's going to be an interesting winter for the kids at school. They will know all they have to do is cough 1 too many times and they get 14 days off!! How many parents will get fined should be interesting too

 

[Fern81]

Jess any news?

Joanna glad you’re feeling better... I have my up and down days & on the down days I absolutely can’t cope... lots of sympathy and hugs to you (and everyone else struggling mentally/emotionally at all, there are lots of us!)

Shame yes you guys are all now headed into winter and the usual sniffles & colds. Although I must say this is the first winter that NONE of us have been sick or to the ER with ds fever etc. The nebulizer gathered dust. No meds for ds for the year so far. Usually our medical aid savings are finished by July but this year I’m basically the only one using medical insurance money for the pregnancy. We still have medical savings left. If we all sanitized etc every year as much as we did this year, we might have another flu-free season. It was in our news and I assume in other countries too; how RSA skipped flu season this winter. Just goes to show regardless of my rant a few months ago about how people don’t use masks correctly, the masks and sanitary measures definitely did help. I hope that especially preschools keep it up in years to follow since a lot of disease outbreaks originate in preschools!

 

[Fern81]

34+5 bump.
Note the suitcase in the background... we’re headed to our bushveld game reserve retreat! Poignant... this is the last holiday we’ll have as a family of three. Bittersweet

 

[AzureOrchid]

Victoria - great update!! So glad to hear you are both doing well. He’s such a cutie!!

Aww Joanna, that does sound like lots on your plate. Hopefully your family respects your wishes and keeps you out of the drama. I’ve been pushing for much of the same with both sides of the family here, too. I just don’t want to hear about it! Hope you’re feeling better soon.

Fern, that’s nice that your SIL is on your side. Also, congrats on being on holiday!! Super cute bump!!

Co, that sounds like such a stressful move! Sorry you had to go through that but glad you got everything settled and you’re in the new place! Cute scan pic!!

Crossing fingers and toes for you, Jess!! Sorry the first sweep wasn’t what you hoped for.

Glad to hear things are going well CC94! Cute bump! I can’t imagine juggling all that at home right now.

Wow catmum, that consultant sounds like a royal a**hole!! Sorry you had such an experience. Glad to hear you have a plan though.. that must be a relief!

AFM we took possession of the new house on Thursday and it has been a whirlwind of work in there so far. I've spent the last two days ripping off wallpaper and can barely move today. We should be set to start priming the walls today, though. Our neighbours are ridiculously nice! They came by yesterday and gave us some flowers to welcome us. So sweet. I've never lived next to nice people before lol!

I hear all of you that are having fun with moods and irritability, though. I have very little patience lately and just want to stay on track to get the house ready for our official move on the 5th. We still have so much work to get done here with packing, too. I'm also just over being pregnant at this point and pretty much ready for him to come out despite how unprepared we are. Six more weeks to go sounds way too long.

One plus of the new house and a little snap of hot weather this weekend is we have a (heated) pool that's saltwater and it has been really nice for aches, pains and swelling. Except today we're going to have his mom, sister and her brood over (husband + 5 kids) to enjoy the pool so nothing is going to get done in the house today and that will leave us with less than a week to get everything else done. Which, I won't be able to help with any of the other things that need to get done (painting, redoing baseboards) so I just hope he can stay focused and actually get all this stuff done and start packing. He tends to get distracted easily so it should be interesting and totally not stressful at all...

 

[Catmumof4]

Fern lovely bump pic! Have a brilliant vacation!!!

Azure I'm glad you have such a lovely Pool you can relax an unwind in. It's good to have a break and have some family time. Hope you have more time to relax before baby gets here.

Afm today has been an odd day of just killing time. I have my sweep and ctg tomorrow morning and I'm a little nervous in case all the pains I have had this weekend turn out to be nothing x

 

[JessdueJan]

Heyy.
Just a quick update... After a very stressful weekend and a traumatic morning this morning I am due to go for a csection within the next hour. Current trying to keep my mind occupied to pass the time to avoid having another breakdown. Baby seems unphased by how much chaos he or she is causing though and is doing fine on the traces xx