**December Snowflakes - 2016**

[rose.]

Grace when I have BH they make me feel weird - a little breathless and I get this pressure in my head. They can also affect my back/bowel. Maybe you're are something similar? It's hard to describe the feeling I get with them but I definitely know when one is coming now as I get the feeling first and then my tummy goes all hard.

 

[Bubbles1088]

Rose that is the perfect way to describe BH contractions! Mine have been very strong the past few days, usually they get worse at nighttime for some reason.

I started nesting again last night and swept the kitchen floor and straightened up a bit of clutter we have on the table in there. Then I just got floored from exhaustion and when I laid down the BH started coming. Oh and her movements are really starting to hurt me! There was twice yesterday I needed a minute or two to sit/stand and not move because it was so bad. She's so low she's hitting nerves and my pelvis down there with all her movements and it's no fun!

We're in the final stretch, ladies! Can't wait to start seeing baby posts!!!

 

[GraceER]

Mystery solved - I have a UTI 🙈. It's not embarrassing to have a UTI but it is embarrassing I failed to diagnose it myself! One of the midwives at work spotted me rubbing my back and looking uncomfortable and handed me the dipsticks and a tub and sent me to the bathroom. Just waiting to see if any of the doctors here will prescribe the antibiotics or if I need to call the community midwives. I'm relieved to be honest, this can easily be sorted!

 

[TinyLynne]

Oh that is no fun Grace! I hope it clears up soon!

 

[Sapphire86]

I'm glad you got to the bottom of it grace, but bummed you have to deal with an uti. Boo. The utis I've had in the past (not while pregnant) have had the hallmark burning while peeing. I don't know of I'd recognize it with your symptoms either, especially this far in the pregnancy! I hope you start feeling on the mend soon

 

[Sapphire86]

Rose, that is a good description. Grace, mine are worse at night too. For me it's because I have to pee all the time, which causes them.

I toured the hospital this week and the director of Childbirth education was explaining how to determine whether contractions were mild, moderate, or strong. Mine have been strong for months with the twins! Dr says my uterus is overdistended hence the painful contractions so early on. My cervix is behaving, however. I'm 1cm dilated and my cervix is softening (hence the daily cramping) but nothing unusual for twins at 34 weeks. She thinks I may make it to my c-section date at 38+3 on Dec 7 (finally have a date!).

Since stopping work, the contractions have lessened considerably as long as I stay off my feet periodically. Standing up for 15 to 30 mins really gets them started.

 

[Loopy Laura]

It's exciting to hear so many of you are in the home stretch! I hope that everyone is ok and those waiting in hospital/bedrest aren't too bored.

I'm totally disorganised. A bit like tommyg, I can't quite imagine having another baby and I'm therefore not getting myself motivated! Our loft extension is still in full swing - they're starting the plastering next week then we will have to paint etc so I'm nowhere near ready yet! I think this is what's making me disorganised as I can't do much until the room is finished. I have picked up a few bits but all my baby clothes are in storage at the moment! I don't finish work till 8th December either.

I don't think I've had braxton hicks although I do get occasional cramping. I feel frustrated at the moment that I need the toilet so often! I think she's bouncing on my bladder. I've got a scan on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to seeing how big she is. I'm hoping she's small like her sister but my bump is huge so I really have no idea!

 

[Loopy Laura]

Grace - glad you got to the bottom of the problem! Hope it clears up soon.

 

[TinyLynne]

Anyone doing cord blood donation? I plan on it but forgot to order my kit! I'll have to do that this weekend so hopefully I'll have it when he gets here! Any moms out there do this before? Any certain place to donate to? Just the local blood bank? I want to make sure it goes to good use.

 

[Bubbles1088]

Grace so glad you've gotten to the bottom of it! With DD, I had one for weeks and I didn't recognize the signs (which seem so obvious now) and ended up in the hospital for half a day from excruciating pain and peeing blood at 38 weeks! Glad you caught it and can now hopefully treat it!

 

[tommyg]

Grace good to hear that you have an answer hopefully the antibiotics will sort it.

Lynne I've never heard of cord blood donation. Not sure if you can do it in the UK.

Laura I'm very slowly getting organised for this little person. It might not have clean organized clothes but it has a Christmas stocking.....are my priorities in the wrong place.....ach its too early to wash and sort clothes. Lol

Happy Days it is head down rather than up.

 

[rose.]

Grace sorry to hear about the UTI, but I'm glad it's being treated and I'm sure you'll be back to normal soon

I would love to donate my cord blood but unfortunately there are only a very small number of hospitals in England (as far as I'm aware) that can take it and none of them are anywhere near us. I wish they would roll out the scheme to all hospitals as I am sure most women would donate - why wouldn't you when the stem cells are so valuable?!

I started my Christmas wrapping today the Santa presents are ready and I've done about half of my other presents as they are in gift bags. My wrapping paper for the other presents hasn't arrived yet but I'm trying to put things in decorated gift bags this year rather than wrap them, as I like to wrap on the floor and that's just not practical for very long with achy hips!

Poor DS has a cold and cough at the moment so he's waking at night and struggling during the day. I just had to pick him up from nursery and I'm supposed to be at work this afternoon. I am so looking forward to being on Mat leave so I don't have this problem!!

 

[Loopy Laura]

Grace good to hear that you have an answer hopefully the antibiotics will sort it.

Lynne I've never heard of cord blood donation. Not sure if you can do it in the UK.

Laura I'm very slowly getting organised for this little person. It might not have clean organized clothes but it has a Christmas stocking.....are my priorities in the wrong place.....ach its too early to wash and sort clothes. Lol

Happy Days it is head down rather than up.

Hehe I think your priorities are just right!

 

[Jezika]

Eek, I'm not sure I'd recognize those signs of UTI either if there wasn't any pain while passing the pee or general bladder discomfort. This may be a silly question, but when my midwives test for protein and glucose with those little sticks, would that pick up a UTI? I think maybe not, because they DID ask for a pee sample the other day because I mentioned I got UTIs a lot, and it was clear. Glad you can get it sorted, though, and that it isn't early labour!

Re: cord blood banking. I wouldn't mind donating, but from what I understand they HAVE to cut the cord straight away, and I think I prefer them to wait till it drains (apparently midwives encourage this too). But I see cords getting cut straight away all the time, so probably not a huge deal?

Good call on getting Christmas gifts ready early. I have just over three weeks till my due date and goodness knows I won't be Christmas shopping or wrapping gifts after baby arrives!

Chrissytina - glad to hear you're measuring in track now too. So am I, apparently, and I was a little worried about why it slowed down. of course, I was worried why I was measuring ahead before this, so I think I just worry about anything.

Anyone still yet to have a baby shower? Mine is on November 20th and I'm trying to think of fun games to play. One thing I will be doing is giving everyone a piece of paper and getting them to draw an animal with pencil and sign their name. Then, when I have time, I will go over the drawings with a fine black pen, scan it into to my computer (i.e., just take a picture of it), turn them into vector graphics on Adobe Illustrator, colour them in and then have them printed as a collage of animals for Matilda. Basically it'll be digital art created by all our friends and fam (and actually I can get family overseas to do the same but just e-mail me pics of their drawings, which I can just print and then trace over). Soooo easy to do!

As for things we still need, I think we need extra diapers, maternity bras, maternity pads, baby towels and... I think that's it!

Any thoughts on rocking chairs/gliders?

 

[rose.]

That's such a cool idea with the animals Jezika! I had a baby shower recently my SILs organised it for me, there were a few games - guess the number of sweets in the baby bottle, guess the size of the bump, guess the birthday and weight, pin the nappy on the baby, baby bingo... It was good fun.

I didn't have a rocking chair with DS just a bouncy chair and a play mat, but this time I've bought a rocking chair too so I don't have to keep carrying the chair around if I want to keep her with me (while cooking, showering etc). I'll probably keep the chair upstairs and the rocker downstairs. My SIL had a rocker for both her boys and they found it very soothing.

 

[rose.]

I just realised you probably meant a rocking chair/glider for you to sit on!! Sorry I had one before but have no room for it this time. DS never fed in the traditional cradle hold, most of our feeds were done in the rugby hold (under the arm) so I used to feed him mostly on the sofa or on the edge of the bed with him propped up on cushions. I am sure the chair would be very useful though if you have a baby who doesn't have strange preferences on feeding positions

 

[Sapphire86]

Any thoughts on rocking chairs/gliders?

I have a glider with nursing footrest and love having it in the living room. I brought it out to the main room again when my belly got big this pregnancy too. It was a must-have after my c-section because it is so much easier to get up from than the couch and supported my arm for holding baby while feeding better. That said, DH never used it... He liked feeding baby on the couch better.

I believe that if you think you want one, you probably should get one. If you think it's a waste, then it probably is for you. Good luck deciding!

 

[tommyg]

I have an Ikea poang chair and footstool.
I would have loved a proper rocker but combination of factors, no space in our old house we didn't move until DS was 10mths by then I couldn't justify the cost of a rocker. So the Ikea chair was a cheapish compromise although I used it nightly for story's until DS was about 5 and it became too uncomfortable for him to sit on my knee for story's.

 

[jessicasmum]

Sorry Grace about the uti hope the antibiotics works quickly for you.

Had another growth scan Thursday and baby is fine, still head down so looking like he'll stay that way now, still over 90th percentile but going what they expect. He's suppose to weigh around 6 pound 8 at the moment.
Had my consultant appointment the day after this time and they did a urine sample which had glucose in it, this is the 2nd time glucose been in urine now but I was thinking just due to the sugary cereal I had in the morning. Consultant said she would prefer to have me do yet another GTT (this would be a 3rd) but I said I didn't want to after having all clear ones before, she said I would need to go to the antenatal day unit next week and have my urine tested again so I'm planning on phoning Wednesday to go Thursday to get it checked. I really hope it's a clear sample this time as I really don't want to do the GTT again, it's not fair on my little one having to wait about for 2 and half hours when it's more than likely going to be negative again. So I'm staying clear of anything sugary over the next few days and hope it's just that, FX.

 

[Jezika]

Thanks for the advice, ladies. The issue really is space, as we don't have much and it's so easy to fill an entire house up with baby stuff!

Oh, about the baby shower games, what are the prizes?!?

Jessicasmum - Fingers crossed the next glucose test is fine. I agree it wouldn't be fair to your LO when it's probably fine yet again. GL!