[nickclick]

we'll (hopefully) be at the Bloomsbury Birth Centre at UCH. Everyone in our NCT group is due to give birth there, and a few people are due before me so I'm interested to hear about their experiences.

I finished work last Friday, and the flat is rapidly filling up with baby gear. The pushchair was delivered yesterday, and Architect Boy's sister keeps showing up with things we didn't know we needed - nipple cream, a white noise CD and various swaddling devices. Despite all this it STILL all feels a little unreal.

i know! we received sooo many gifts and then yesterday i spend nearly $250 (in gift card dough, thankfully) at Babies R Us. i'm sure we don't need all this stuff but what if we do???? well, i do need that doggie rattle that plays guitar. that is too damn cute. 

funny, how are you feeling? and yes, Michelina?

[funnybird]

Julie and Jenny, how lovely to hear from you!

I'm 38 weeks and 1 day today!

We'll be going to the hospital by cab (we don't have a car and the hospital is in central London, so no parking) and like Jenny, I'm worried about mistiming things! I've heard so many horror stories about folks arriving at the hospital, being told to go home for a few hours and then giving birth in the back of the car / cab. Hearing that there's a 'contraction master' app on the iphone really made me laugh! They think of everything, don't they?

Jenny, we'll (hopefully) be at the Bloomsbury Birth Centre at UCH. Everyone in our NCT group is due to give birth there, and a few people are due before me so I'm interested to hear about their experiences.

I finished work last Friday, and the flat is rapidly filling up with baby gear. The pushchair was delivered yesterday, and Architect Boy's sister keeps showing up with things we didn't know we needed - nipple cream, a white noise CD and various swaddling devices. Despite all this it STILL all feels a little unreal.

Michelina, how's it going?

I'd love to hear from deli too.

[nickclick]

thanks everyone! iPod is stacked with many options... we'll see!

yes waiting for delibelly!

still hanging in there over here. my last day of work was friday. phew! so weird that there will be this whole other person in our house any day now.

[jenny_dreadful]

Deli - thinking of you. Think your induction was planned for this Wednesday just gone, so hope you're cosied up at home now with your brand new little one.

Nick - thinking of you too! Looking forward to reading your good news and wishing you a swift and smooth delivery.

Michelina - fab news that all is well and that your scan was so positive.

Funny - you must be 37 weeks now, hope the last few weeks are going well for you. Glad to read how happy you are with your hospital. I had Archie in the Home from Home unit at St Thomas's which sounds like a similar set up to where you're delivering. My experience there was fab.

I felt kind of under water during labour, I don't think I would've especially noticed music if it had been playing (which it wasn't). What I found most useful was Mr D coaching me through the contractions, we used the Contraction Master app on the iPhone, and he was able to tell me I was 40 secs through a 1 minute contraction which I knew meant that I was on the downswing at least momentarily. Nothing much else really got through to me (although I did bump into a work colleague when I made it out onto the main road to hail a cab while going through transition, that was quite clear to me. Memo to self, next time go to hospital earlier.)

Keeping everything crossed for brand new October babies!

[zelda]

Aphelendra...just had a gauze underwear flashback!!! Mwah ha ha....very funny. How are you feeling? How's everything going?

[aphelendra]

We brought everything and the kitchen sink to the delivery room. Lots of clothes, snacks, a birth ball . . . . In the end it just ended up cluttering up the very small recovery room and generally driving me nuts. I wore the hospital gowns, undies, and socks, for fear of getting blood all over my stuff. There is a LOT of pp bleeding in the first 12-24 hours, no one prepared me for this. Also, I really do just love those gauze undies! and it turns out lots of hospitals supply birth balls, so no need to have dragged this ridiculous blue rubber monstrosity around . . . . Seriously, we should have packed the car up before I went into labor. By the time Mr. got my bag, his bag, the baby's bag, the car seat, and the birth ball into the vehicle, a good 30 minutes had elapsed since we actually decided to leave.

Nick, I also was not in a 'musicy' kind of place. But I imagine if I had I would not have wanted to be pumped up. Most women have a need for dark and quiet in the last stages of labor. My vote is for Nick Drake.

Nick, Deli, funny, I can't wait to hear about your births! I still remember each of you announcing your pregnancies like it was yesterday! ::sniffle::

Michelina, woo hoo for halfway baked baby!

Hope all are well . . . . will be pokin' about here and there, waiting for the next round of bustie babes. . . .

[julie124]

Great to hear how well all the pregnancies are coming along....wow, time is flying!

Nickclick, I would agree with zelda about birth being sort of otherworldly, but I actually found music helpful during labor. mr julie had thoroughly researched all the a/v setups (the other people in our birthing class laughed a little at him, because while everyone else on the tour was checking out the bed and the whirlpool tub he was looking at what kind of audio inputs were in the TV so we could hook up the iPod). He hooked up my iPod early on and just had it running in the background on shuffle, so it was a totally random mix of songs playing. I have lots of 80s music and Ani DiFranco and various random things on there, but somehow it worked. Sometimes concentrating on the Erasure song made it a lot easier to move through the contractions.

That said, I came equipped with all kinds of crapola that we never used. mr julie grabbed some DVDs as we were leaving the house and well, let's just say he didn't make the best choices. I informed him that I had no interest in watching Spiderman or Firefly. A friend of ours who was caring for our cats ended up dropping by the house and she brought me my beloved 30 Rock DVDs, but frankly those didn't get broken out until we were in the postpartum room, because the last thing you want to do while in labor is pay attention to a TV show or movie of any kind. Personally I found conversation to be a good distraction in the early stages, and then just music and lots of encouragement (and that tub with the jets, that thing was the bomb) in the later stages. Then during pushing, just lots of encouragement and sips of water. And oxygen. Visualization also worked for me. But the most important thing I learned was that you really don't know what you need until you're in it, so I don't regret bringing all the crap to the hospital that we did.

I've been thinking a lot about that time lately, because this time last year I was getting pretty close - can't believe Henry is already 11 months old! It's amazing stuff, enjoy every minute you can of the pregnancy and the birth (not that every minute is going to be enjoyable, but you get the idea!).

[zelda]

So great, Michelina! I'm curious to know the gender, too! Let us know if you know or if it's going to be a surprise.

Elliott was sideways until about 37 weeks. I had a friend whose baby flipped the night before she delivered. She felt it. You never know. Glad all is well funny and you like your birthing center!

Nickclick, I wouldn't rely too much on estimated weight. They told me E could be anywhere from 8 to 10 pounds and he was 7 pounds! They don't really know...

As for music...well...I don't want to scare you but in the middle of contractions my head space was not in a musical place. At all!!! Some women may enjoy it, but I wasn't even aware of what was around me when the contractions were really intense. I was just drifting off on waves of pain and breathing. At many times it was like an out of body experience (except I could still sense the pain).

Now after I had the (blessed) epidural, I slept. And when it came time to push, well again, it was like I left my body for a while even as I "knew" I was pushing. It was like I was watching myself push.

Again, I don't mean to scare you, but for me at least giving birth was The. Most. Insane. Experience. Ever. Not bad. Just....other worldly. Amazingly so. And you bring all this shit with you to the hospital like music and tennis balls and snacks and whatnot and truly, I never used any of it. I just was so focused on my body and pushing that baby out!

[nickclick]

funny, we had the same "turn" of events a couple of weeks ago where the peanut was suspected to be transverse but seen to be head first on the scan. phew is right! glad to hear.

i go for a checkup today... i'm totally going to ask what the estimated weight is! besides, my coworkers are running a pool so i can see who's closest so far.

the bag is packed! clothes for baby and me of course, pic of my dog, cameras, loaded iPod and dock.... mommies - what music to you suggest for delivery time? usually before i go to a job interview or something i psyche myself up with some 90s PJ Harvey and riot grrrl. or do i need Nick Drake to calm me the eff down?

[funnybird]

Hooray Michelina! What wonderful news
Did you find out the baby's sex? Or are you saving the surprise?

I had yet another drama last week when the midwife at my 36 week check-up decided that Babybird was a transverse lie (a Very Bad Thing at this stage). She referred me for another scan, which I had this afternoon, and it turned out to be a false alarm. He's still safely head-down, and - at an estimated 6lbs 15oz already - probably too big to be turning any more somersaults.

We also visited the birth centre of our choice last week and we loved it! It's attached to the big teaching hospital where I've been having my antenatal care, but is midwife-led and has a natural childbirth ethos. I particularly liked the birthing pools and the fact that Architect Boy would be able to stay overnight with me and Babybird after the birth in our own room, but I could transfer downstairs to the main hospital immediately if there were any problems.

Nickclick, is your hospital bag all packed yet?

[nickclick]

that's great news, Michelina!!! wasn't the scan a lot of fun?

no baby yet. as excited as i am to meet baby, and as tired i am of being pregnant, i would be OK if baby stays put for a couple more weeks. this is my last week of work and i could use a few days after for relaxing and getting some stuff done.

[Michelina]

My scan yesterday went really well! Baby measured exactly 19 +3, which is what I was based on my dates so that was perfect. Anatomy looked good too. What a relief! I had my doctor's appointment today and all is well with me too. I hope the second half of the pregnancy goes as smoothly as the first half has! I cannot believe I'm almost 20 weeks already.

Zelda, I read through some of our posts from about a year ago and it was very interesting to compare where we all were then with where we are now. Speaking of Busties during that time, Cristine, how are you? I think of you often. Not sure if you still check this thread, but I want you to know that I really hope you are doing well.

Nickclick and Delibelly, thinking of you both as you near your big day!

[zelda]

Funny and Michelina, so excited to hear your news...it seems like so long ago that all three of us started on this thread wanting to become mamas, and now it is happening for you both. So exciting!!! Funny, I'm sorry it has been stressful as of late, but I do hope that all calms down soon. And Michelina, how exciting that you are feeling movement! That is when it all became real to me. :-)

Deli and Nickclick, getting down to the wire...very exciting, too. Can't wait to hear your birth stories!

Yes, I have read Happiest Baby on the Block and watched the DVD and am pretty familiar with the fourth trimester theory. Very valuable stuff, esp. when dealing with a colicky baby as we did. We found the white noise and swaddling to be absolute MUSTS and we wouldn't have survived the colic without them. But I think it would be helpful to read HB on the Block or watch the DVD even if you didn't have a colicky baby...because all babies under 3 months do fuss for reasons difficult to distinguish...mostly because they are just not fully "cooked" yet and need that extra care and love.

Now, at 4 and a half months, Elliott's cries are much much easier to figure out and to solve. He hardly cries at all now...aaaaaahhhhh....he's like a different baby. I do pray none of you have to deal with colic, but if you do, I've got loads of advice, and the best part is it ends almost overnight. Elliott was a different baby at around 12/13 weeks. I can almost pinpoint the day it all changed. He can be so mellow now, playing and amusing himself...we are really in the golden age of babyhood - that great time when he is interactive and responsive but not yet crawling, so he can't get into everything just yet! ;-)

Sending positive vibes to all!

[nickclick]

zelda, i just skimmed through Happiest Baby on the Block. did you read that? curious if you did and his theory and techniques worked at all. glad to hear Elliott is the happiest baby now! and you're a happier mommy!

michelina, how was your scan today??????

the peanut is still kicking around my belly. at my checkup on tuesday, doc said i'm about about 50% effaced and sort of still on schedule for Halloween-ish delivery. and i most certainly have not dropped yet. seriously.... ow. my ribs.

so i think you're going to go first, deli! keep us posted and best of luck!

[delibelly]

Zelda-glad to hear that the colic is over. I've heard it often magically resolves itself after 3 months. Have you heard of the "4th trimester" theory?

Sorry to hear about the stress this last little while Funnybird. So hard to deal with all this stuff when you should be allowed to just concentrate on your pregnancy. Re: Being given stuff. You know that outrageous number they put on how expensive it is to raise a child per year? It's always supposed to be a billionty dollars or something - well, 5 years into my son's life and we RARELY buy anything. We get so many hand-me-downs, and new stuff always seems to come at Christmas and birthdays and from Grandparents. Anyhow. I've got 22 outfits for babydeli already and I haven't bought a single thing.

As for babydeli. Still nothing. I have a long boring story about a false labour on Thursday, but I won't go into it. Now we are talking induction with the midwife, but I'm asking them to wait for the last possible moment, which would be next Wednesday. I've decided if I have to have pitocin I might as well just go whole hog and get the epideral as well. Meanwhile, this morning the midwife had a good poke about my nethers to try to irritate the baby into doing things naturally (called a stretch and sweep), have another stretch and sweep set for next friday, and a ultrasound tomorrow to make sure baby doesn't have any medical reasons she's staying put.

Much luck on your scan Michelina. And Nickclick - if you go before me, I'ma be soooooo jealous.

[Michelina]

Zelda, thanks for your thoughts and positive vibes! Glad to hear that Elliott is doing so well. I am doing well. Last Saturday I started to feel definite fetal movement. I was reading a novel and drinking hot chocolate, and I felt twinges in my uterus. Eventually it occured to me that I was being jabbed! I felt less over the weekdays as I was busy with work, but when I lie on the couch and relax, I can typically feel something after a while. It is amazing and wonderful. My anatomy scan is on Oct 14. I am excited and nervous! I'll update for sure after that.

Funnybird, I am so glad to hear that AB is fine. I can see why you'd worry. What a relief! And it won't be long before babybird will be in your arms! Sounds like a little chaos in your home, but better now than after babybird comes.

Nickclick, how are you doing? Really in the home stretch now!

Deli, how are you?

Meadowlark, glad you have joined. Best of luck to you! We represent all sides of TTC - from very fast to IVF pregnancy (that's me.) Lots of support and advice here whenever you need it.

[funnybird]

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been around recently - the last few weeks haven't been exactly easy. No problems with Babybird (who appears to be doing just great) but lots of other stuff going on.

Firstly Architect Boy was ill with some pretty severe stomach pains. Pre-last summer we wouldn't have thought much of it, but these days every little health niggle he has makes me think "Oh God, the cancer is back!". Fortunately his GP sent him for blood tests straight away, and after an anxious couple of days he got the all clear. It was most likely a virus, but he's feeling much better now. Then last week my lovely Uncle died, and later that same day my Mum had a transient ischaemic attack - a sort of 'mini-stroke' brought on by stress and grief and untreated hypertension. She is also fine now, but it was a horrible and scary 24-hours while she was in hospital.

Oh, and to add to all this our landlord decided to replace our kitchen for us - which we're very grateful for - but means the flat has been in chaos with builders, boxes and dust for the past few weeks. So much for being able to relax during my third trimester....

In good news, I had a growth scan at 34 weeks and Babybird is right on target. He's still kicking and wriggling constantly. Also we've been given so much great baby stuff by family members and friends! So far the only thing we've had to buy new is a pushchair.

How is everyone else? Deli must have given birth by now!

[zelda]

Bump for the preggo BUSTies...get it? Bump?! ;-)

I am sending good vibes to all but really hoping for an update from Michelina! Thinking about you, girl!

Elliott is four months...had a great four month check up. He's a total cutie...colic totally gone and just a dreamboat and so much fun to be around!

[nickclick]

deli, one week????!!!! whoo hoo! how are you feeling? 4 more weeks here.

i don't do the counts either and just notice the movement as it comes. ew have you noticed baby not only kicking out but kicking in too? like baby's all pushing on my spleen - what does this do?

maybe your midwives are just not used to laid back preggys like you. i go in to visits with a huge list of questions and they give me the same info that i just read in my Mayo Clinic book. but i need that reassurance. you should tell them how you feel about not wanting over-paranoia.

and welcome meadowlark! best of luck!

[delibelly]

Meadowlark. According to my profile, I've been a member since 2006 and have posted only 26 times. Actually, I've been around since...maybe 2004? Since before you had to introduce yourself, or ask permission to start a thread. I visit BUST daily, but I just do not have the time to get drawn into becoming a more active member. Anyway, welcome and Good Luck with trying to conceive!

I was thinking about you guys because of all our talk in the past about worry. Just back from my midwife and I always get the impression that they are more concerned about my lack of concern than I am. This time it was about movement. "Is the baby moving a lot?" "Um, yeah, well...less now that there's not much room in there, but, sure." "Well is it at least 6 times an hour?" "Well, I don't really notice or count, but, you know, at night and whenever I eat and, oh look...there's one now." "Are you worried at all about this?" "Not really" and then we have a talk about steps I COULD take if I WAS worried that goes on for so long that I finally say "Well, should I be worried that I'm not worried?"

It was the same when I refused the glucose test because my family has no history of diabetes, I haven't gained a great deal of weight, and all my "pee-sticks" have been negative. The student mid-wife was sort of flummoxed. I guess she doesn't often meet someone who says "Nah, It's okay." when presented with the Glucose screening.

I guess I wonder whether they're eyeing my lack of concern as a possible precursor to Post Partum Depression? Their attentions are just making me a little paranoid.

Due in a week! Who's up next? How's everyone else doing?