Assisted Conception Thread :) *updated members list pg1*

[cranberry987]

that costume is so cute, and the baby inside ofc!

Im gonna get a reindeer/snowman costume in newborn size. Might have a look at fleabay today! Working from home 10-6. Will be super boring as I hardly get any work to do, so mostly sitting online googling stuff. Gonna order some home birth books. Google is a bit useless for advice and Im getting stressed thinking I should do something when rly I know theres nothing I need to do - call doula, call mw, have baby, easy!

Hope youre all not too uncomfortable being all big n round, cant wait til mine looks like baby rather than flab!

 

[MrsF]

am i right in thinking a pramsuit is like an all in one coat for the winter?

britt - am so pleased your taking leave as of this week - you can get your bag packed at the weekend x x x will try and upload somepics hun, but i gotta try and load the software onto this new netbook (as my laptop blew up a few weels ago)

cran - i have lost many a day googling enjoy!! x x

mm - i cannot begin to imagine how it feels to carry twins - my bump is as tight as a drum and can get v uncomfy - hats off to you lady x x

dm - toooooooooo cute!!! Your Harry looks adorable!!!!

afm - rubbish today. totally fed up. didnt sleep at all well due to the most awful aches in my hips - no position made it easier. at one point i had to physically grab my leg to move it as my hip just wouldnt work. needless to say i'm shattered today and hips are still weird. and toilet trips are stepping up even more! last night dh and i put towels and bin liners on the mattress just in case waters go, and i was so tempted to just pee in bed at one point in the night........am hoping i can catch up on my sleep today and feel a bit sweeter!!!! x x x on the plus side, 7 sleeps to go.....

 

[cranberry987]

Sorry youre feeling crappy, countdown time tho! Has the hospital/GP/MW suggested anything to help you feel more confortable? Hope you can have a chilled day with a few snoozes.

Found out Im mostly seeing the other MW from the one I saw before - she was crap and told me loads of wrong things. So Im happy with that. Going to try and ignore all her faults if she has any. I think shes younger and maybe less experienced but probably less jaded. The older one I saw at booking in didnt seem like she could be bothered. She certainly wasnt up to speed on local procedures/services.

 

[MrsF]

thanks cran x x am seeing MW on weds so will defo mention it then - it's like pressure points, but you'd expect to get them from days of bedrest, not a couple of hours - unless everything's to pot when pregnant. pleased you've changed MWs, gotta feel confident in them

not managed to snooze yet, had the decorators in to patch up some work in the house before bubbs comes. am in bed now though and determined to get a few zzz's - just one'll do!!! x x x

 

[DragonMummy]

Morning!!

pram suits - I have got a couple of newborn ones as they were hand me downs but if I was buying myself would have just gone for 0-3 or possibly even 3 - 6 (can't imagine its the sort of thing that would matter if it was a bit big to start!)

You say that....

https://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/lefunch/DSC00052.jpg


Current method of clucking is poring over Harrys baby photos. Can you tell?

 

[DragonMummy]

Mrs F - am also struggling to sleep. its just misery at the moment.

CB -glad you got the MW you preferred. Nothing worse than having someone you don't feel comfortable wiht

 

[MarsMaiden]

cranberry - my midwife seems really nice but I think she has been a midwife many years and just seems a bit jaded by the whole thing. I never get much chat out of her or anything like that, it always seems to be about getting what needs done as fast as possible and on to the next one! I guess as long as everything is done though...

MrsF - I had heard that sleeping on your side with a pillow going from your knees right down to your ankles was meant to help with hip pain by keeping them better aligned. Its probably a bit late for you now but my body pillow really has been a dream - so good to be able to lean into something without squashing the babies!

Dm - cant wait to check out your pics later! and i think it sounds like a wonderful way to spend your time!

 

[cranberry987]

that pic is lush! Someone I know took her baby home in a massive pramsuit and she looked so much cuter than if she was in one that fitted

I was thinking too, what about a chiroprcter/osteopath for the hip pain. My osteo is marvelous, literally go home pain free. When I found out I was preg, I started sleeping on my side because of boob pain and cramps and knowing that Id have to do it eventually so thought Id better practice. Had awful neck pain from day 1. I go to him anyway for headaches and he suggested a few things and cracked some bones and I sleep perfectly now when my bladder lets me.

I prefer osteo to chiro tbh as you have to go like daily with chiros (for a 5 min adjustment each time) and its a massive hassle. also my last chiro wasa crackpot who lured me into a presentation to get me to bring my friends to the practice. with osteo you have 30 mins treatment every week or so until things settle, then every 2-3 to check that things are being maintained, then monthly or more. Mine costs around £40 per session, its amazing tho, like a rly hard massage and you come out in less pain

 

[Britt11]

hey ladies, just a quick post as I have to get to work but hello lovely ladies!!
Cran-I meant to send you a note on FB, that was me "Catherine" that added you in case you are wondering...lol
I have a friend that sees an osteopath and swears by her, she went all through her pregnancy and now takes her baby and her there every week and loves it

MrsF- omg, you poor thing so sorry you are having a hard time. I must confess I slept like a baby last night for 9+ hours but on the bright side the count down has really begun for you I think you will be first, than DM and then me (good gosh hopefully NOT at 41.5 weeks though)

DM- I love the oversized "pram" suit ahhh so lovely

Mars- I can not believe you are 27 weeks already!! wow, you must be happy

question for you ladies in Europe- do you have to have a midwife? or are you able to get a family doctor for your pregnancy? Midwives are still relatively uncommon/new here, most of us have a family doc or OBGYN that delivers us. I dont mind the idea of a midwife, but I tend to here they are pushy over here and force their ideas and opinions on you....just curious what your experience is over there. My family doc, doesnt judge at all, she is more than happy to do whatever I want to do (even an elective first time C section if I choose that)

cheers,

 

[cranberry987]

its mostly mw here, even high risk pregnancies are seen by a mw and a consultant. i dunno about them pushing their ideas on you as ive only seen mine once, but the consultants definately do not want you to make an informed decision. So far my MW has just been a box ticker and someone to call to check things which ive already decided myself. My GP doesnt want to know tbh, hes a bit useless for anything to do with ladyparts

and i guessed it was you - saw the arty bump pics on here somewhere

 

[Mrs-G]

I've missed so much with my office move!

Re; pram suits, yes it's an all in one, I guess my buying addition needs to stop!

DM- where are your pics? I couldn't see them, am I being thick?

Midwife - I don't like mine, she's s bit weird but I'll not get her at the hospital, i'll get the hospital ones unless it's her duty.

Mrs f, I think you're next, I've bought some little angels bed mats from asda to put on my bed, I have visions of my waters breaking in the most embarrassing places!

I'm starting to feel uncomfy now, aching, leg cramping, baby hurting if I lay on side she is! She tells me to move pretty sharpish!

Britt, glad your now finishing early! I've got 7 days at work left. Can't wait but gonna miss it, love my new office but not gonna get anytime there!

Glad things are going ok for you cranberry, getting stuff ready and buying is sooooo exciting,

Well, Monday I'm picking up my pram and Moses basket, is it safe to bring it in the house and play with it? I'm also going to dentist today for free check up, first time in years, think shes gonna shout at me!

 

[MarsMaiden]

DM - oh my goodness those pics are sooo cute! Harry looks like the most angelic dragon evah!!

Britt - The care here for pregnant ladies is normally midwife led unless you have any issues that make you high risk when you would see a consultant (or registrar half the time!). GPs are only really for non pregnancy related issues as far as I can tell. Like Cranberry said, it all seems to be about box ticking rather than individual care but that is the system we live with! Just a few more days at work for you now!!

MrsG - my babies don't like being laid on either but I don't have any choice but to lie on one! It means I have to fall asleep guilt ridden on a wriggling baby! There are old wives tales that say its unlucky to bring the pram in the house before the baby is born but honestly I know that once I get my hands on mine, I wont be able to resist setting it up and playing with it!!

Tummy for me is feeling a bit looser today so hopefully it has adjusted a little bit. I spent most of yesterday afternoon at work trying to push little boy's head/bum back down from under my boobs - it doesnt half make it awkward to lean forward and answer the phone when he does it!! LOL!

 

[DragonMummy]

Mine broke in bed! And it was a real gusher too. Cue new mattress! The pics are on my replies. Are u looking at work?

 

[cranberry987]

Im gonna bring everything into the home, have tempted fate enough so I reckon if ive not got the attention of the evils with telling ppl at 4w preg then im safe I dont reckon you need extra stress at these times tbh so if it worries you then leave it in the garage, if youre not fussed then dont let ppl put worries in your head.

told a client/s i was preg today and found out that the boss has been ttc 5 years so I felt bad saying it after that. I told her it took us ages too, i did kinda play it up a bit, 16m isnt rly that long but i wanted to make her feel better. shes waited 5y and only just having blood tests etc tho. I was in the Drs at 10m with my charts etc! Im sure it would have been longer if i hadnt have pushed it, my gp insisted that if you have periods it means you ovulate....

so ive had work then swim today and now shattered. came home to my M&P delivery of a lush silk dress so just swanking about in that and watching ET!

Thats a good plan about the mattress protecting, would be awful to ruin the entire bed then have a home birth and have no bed to get into afterwards!

 

[MrsF]

ladies, i'm freaking out now..... i just dont think i can do the whole birth thing 5 days left and although i cant wait to meet him and to not be pregnant anymore, i'm having chronic wobbles over the actual birth. i'm breathing, i'm trying to focus on the positives, but everytime i try and relax i just imagine that i'm about to star in my own real life horror movie. wtf do i do???? i',m also worried about the first two weeks as everyone has said it's pretty much hell on earth i thought i was ready, but i.m not sure anymore!!!!

 

[cranberry987]

I cant give any advice really but I think what youre going through is perfectly normal. Youve got a definate deadline on things which is a good thing as you know when its happening but also means you can let the anxiety build up to that date.

Ive been at three births and they werent easy but not half as gory as the videos etc suggest - and I was at the business end interpreting and saw everything. One was a diabetic induction with an epidural. One was a young mum who ended up with a c section as she was going nowhere and contracting every 30 secs. One was a water birth and she had quite a lot of tearing but didnt make a sound and didnt even notice.

I think some birthing videos make it sound worse than it is, I suppose the idea is to prepare you for the worst. Speak to most women tho and they say it was an amazing experience and they would do it again tomorrow.

I hope this is helping a bit. I think its good to write down your worries. Maybe even write them down on a piece of paper. Then you can write all the really crazy off the planet thoughts which youre too scared to air in public Then theyre out of your head and sitting on the paper. Once youve crystalised your thoughts enough to put them on paper you might find you feel a bit better about things.

With the first two weeks thing, I think you always hear the worst stories. Not many ppl will tell you oh mine was an angel and slept through loads because thats not interesting. They focus on the extremes, so the sleepless nights and the lovely early morning cuddles. They dont talk about the middle ground which is quite common I reckon. I have a friend with an 8w old baby who sleeps through. I went camping with three 1 year olds and they all slept through our raucus late night gigglings. Im sure this isnt the same for everyone, and there are nights where they scream their heads off, but I just think that ppl like to talk about the negatives so you think theyre great for coping sometimes iykwim.

It will be a big thing to have to adjust to, but I read something which helped calm me a bit - you might not know how to bath a baby, but baby doesnt know if youre doing it wrong

 

[DragonMummy]

Just focus on the fact that loads of women DO do it again. i had a traumatic birth and 18 months of PND and I can't WAIT to do it again. Yeah a lot of it is hard. But its not unmanageable. Most of labour is a doddle, it's only the end bit that really hurts and that's why God gave us pethedine and epidural. The gas and air really helped me too. And TBH the first week or two is really easy as you get shitloads of adrenaline. After that you're just knackered for 3 months. But ASK people to help with housework (otherwise they just assume youre coping - i won't make that mistake again lol), delegate jobs to your OH and sleep WHENEVER you can. Yeah you're only getting 2 hours at a time but it adds up.

Also when baby is a few weeks old, book yourself in for a treat. I had a cut and colour last time. That helped. Or a massage. Something like that.

Remember as well that as hard as it is and you will have days where you are completely fucked, the whole experience is just pure MAGIC. I would do harry's birth day again in a flash. Me and DH were sooo close afterwards. It was just him and me. And then it was him and me and a beautiful little baby boy. Yeah it was a good 3 months before I stopped feeling buggered. But there were some bloody special moments in there. The first smile happens at about 5 weeks. And nothing beats that as a milestone.

The main hurdles you have are when baby cries and you haven't got a clue why. Thats no fun. But you know what? Once theyre fed, changed etc, you can put them in their basket and leave them for 20 minutes and go and have a cup of tea and some cake. They might wail the whole time but they'll be fine. You need your sanity.

Honestly, you will be fine. It's genuinely the most fulfilling experience ever.

 

[MrsF]

thanks ladies, i've just got myself so worked up over the past few days i'm the biggest wuss ever, and i so scared. i really want an epi, but then that has it's down sides - slows contractions, no mobility, increase of assisted delivery....but i know i wont cope without. then there's the whole tearing / stitches and being sore crap after i thought i had a handle on it after wanting it for so long, but now i'm just petrified. seeing the mw tomorrow and will spill all then.

 

[MarsMaiden]

MrsF - have you written down a birth plan for how you would like things to go in terms of who you want there, what pain relief you would like and when and things like that? It may help to just write it all down so that you have something to work towards. It may still all go out the window at the end of the day but they have to take notice of it as far as possible. I always reassure myself after watching birth stories that no matter how long and painful the labour has been that the women always look so incredibly happy when their baby is put in their arms that everything previous seems to melt away. Somewhat romanticised probably but it gets me through! Personally I know that I will be offered an epi relatively quickly cos of the twins and they like to have one in ready in case the second twin needs turning or for c-sec and I find that massively reassuring knowing that I wont feel anything!

I loved reading your experiences DM *hugs*

AFM - 28 week growth scan today! First time I will have seen the twingles since 20 weeks so will be lovely to be reassured that everything is growing as it should and that they are both def what we think they are gender wise!!

 

[cranberry987]

Ooh how exciting hope theyre both growing nice and chubby

Decided to book in for a blood test for dh to check if he's rhesus + or - local private place does em for £60 if the nhs won't do it and Im sure they won't

Was supposed to have a lie in today but cats decided to sit on my head instead. Unfair tbh

Laters