diary of angie-bum, first time mum

[angie-bum]

Thanks Jane, have put several bin liners on my side, covered by super absorbant towel with folded duvet over that, blimey that should catch some of it =)

I don't care if they break anywhere else as have a Vax that will deal with it, but not on our new bed, with our brand new, super comfy memory foam mattress.

I have lost some of the fluid I was carrying 3 weeks back, so probably won't need the wellies now =)

 

[Purple Hugs]

lol forgot you got a new bed.. My DH put a mattress protector on our bed the other day.. I felt like a toddler! blooming thing makes me sweat at night.. can't wait till baby arrives I'll be size 8 by then from boiling in my sleep! lol

and LOL at the vax.. can see you washing your carpet before you head to hospital! lol

 

[angie-bum]

noooooooooo, not my job! hubby always does the Vaxing if needed. I am sure someone would clean it up, in my absence (sis has offered to look after our dog and another friend has said she'd help with the housework).... I just don't relish trying to sleep on what is in effect a bloody great big sponge after it has soaked up my waters lol! So that won't be happening! on the floor fine. On my bed....nooooooooooo!

 

[Purple Hugs]

lol sounds fair enough to me hun! and well done that man doing the vaxing.. my DH was in tech support for years (thats where we met in an alarm company tech support).. turns out the man can't use an iron, washing machine.. or carpet cleaner! lol I do the carpet cleaning! lol
Must borrow my neighbours vax soon.. lol just in case! won't tell her why if I do need it though! lol

 

[shelbell]

The show is a great sign, means your cervix is starting to efface and slightly dilate, in preparation for labour. That will be the stronger tightenings you can feel. A show can come 2 or 3 weeks before labour though so it still might be a while yet! Fingers crossed.

 

[angie-bum]

Ow, my head hurts. Again awake in middle of night (thunder and lightening/hail storm woke me).

Can't get comfy in bed , head banging, too hot, back aches when I lie down. Boobs also feel achey and lumpy! Would like to sleep in zero gravity, may not ache so much then!

So have got up.

Feel a lot better now sitting having a cuppa tea! though my head is still banging.

Wonder if the headache is just another hormone surge or related to the electrical storm that's just passed over the county (have not discounted raised bp, will get it checked am if headache not gone).

Arh, that's better. Been downstairs about an hour now, headache going. Looking at the BBC news & weather, it looks like it's gonna get colder.

Now, should try going back to sleep. Right, I know I still need to get some stuff sorted in the nursery, but dammit I need to think about something other than pregnancy/babies tomorrow. So will probably try and stay off the net. Maybe go to the local garden centre, get some bulbs. Hmm, yes I think I need to get a little bit of life balance back. My baby will be here in good time. Being grumpy she isnt here yet and that I am uncomfortable won't help anyone, least me. Maybe will see if I can go swimming or something too. Or a lovely hot bath. Hmmm that sounds better. Try and get some more sleep now then have a soak when I get up. That sounds like aplan to me =)

 

[Purple Hugs]

Hope you got some more sleep ((hugs)) it's a nightmare time I know for comfortable sleep.

Have just updated the birth list.. and you are 2nd now! lol I'm 3rd.. amazing stuff eh!? not long now for either of us.

 

[angie-bum]

Hi Jane. Still getting up almost every night at about 3 am, staying up until 5ish then going back to bed for an hour or 2 to catch up on shut eye.

I am trying not to get so focused on wanting labour to start and am instead trying to see it as a positive, ie baby is safe inside me and at least for the moment I have a little more time to do the kind of things new parents often can't ie going to cinema, going for a meal out, sleeping in! I have also tried this weekend not to get wound about swolleness or the odd headache. I am trying to have a little more faith in the process of pregnancy and labour.

I have eaten far too much this weekend & done too little, but to be honest I needed some time to relax, so I have! Back to it tomorrow. I think I will go with my first plan and just drag the sacks/boxes of crap out of the nursery, pull the rocking crib off the landing and put it into place. If I don't go into labour and have any energy, I will have to paint 2 walls white from the ghastly pink they are at the moment.

May see if I can rope my friend in to help again.

 

[Purple Hugs]

Great to read you relaxed this weekend ((hugs)) me too! lol It's been lovely and definately needed - so can totally understand how you're feeling.

Hope you get the nursery how you want it. Will bub be in with you at first? I need to do a fair bit to our nursery still - haven't even got the wallpaper yet, but know it won't be used other than for bum changes at first! lol

Hope the 3am wake ups ease off for you soon - perhaps settling your mind a bit will help. I did think the other day that it'll be a long 4 or 5 weeks if you go overdue ((hugs)) I know it's not easy to ignore all the twinges and not read too much into them though so do understand. You will really truly know when labour is in full swing though. x x

 

[angie-bum]

Hi Jane, no babs will also be sleeping in with us, have got some bedbumpers for co-sleeping

Simply Sensible Ltd

The original idea was for baby to be in a crib in our room, but to be honest I don't think there is room. Not now we have a bigger bed lol! so baby can be in bigger bed. But am aware of the risks re cosleeping so have got these bumpers. Baby will probably be in grobag affair as well, which I have heard you can use from birth. I thought we could try that for a bit, thought it would help on the breast feeding front. I have not ruled out that a section may be needed, especially if babs stays in till christmas, she's likely to be a whopper and may need help to exit! If that's the case, I wouldnt be able to lift the moses basket, not even sure if you can lift baby out of a low crib after a cs.

I think I am not going to know what our routine will be until I have lived it. But I have several sleeping options. So why the rush for the nursery? so I have somewhere that is peaceful and calm and is baby's space. There is a futon/sofa in there for relaxation and breast feeding and can be a space away from hubby if he needs sleep and babs or I are restless. We were also given another small rocking crib which is downstairs at the mo, so baby has 3 potential places to rest her head during the day or night (oops no, 4 places if you count the moses basket)...we have so many options cos we have been given many things. Some may fit in with our lives some may not. What ever is not needed will be returned to the givers, or given to 1 of the many people I know who are pregnant!

I really hope i won't go over, I am less panicky now as babs is supposedly only about 8lb at the mo. However what she will be in 5 weeks I wouldn't like to guess. Am seeing my mw this week so will ask. If it looks like I am going over 40 weeks I will ask to talk to a dr about risks etc. I had an early scan at 8+ weeks that put the due date at 11th dec. I would be worried about babs is they tried to let me go to 40 weeks + 12 days over the date of dec 17th. The 8 week dates and the 12 weeks dates are different by 6 days. They say the earlier the scan the more accurate it is (but they do seem to insist that the 12 week scan is the one carved in stone as the due date!)

Anyway, will cross that bridge etc. I am just crossing fingers that she makes an appearence sometime in next 2 weeks.

I am sure she will come in her own good time!

Though I did eye up a pineapple in the local store yesterday!

 

[Purple Hugs]

I didn't mean to worry you about dates. ((hugs)) I have various dates too from 20th - 24th..
If baby is estimated at 8lb already then perhaps it's worth speaking to MW about inducement or a sweep at least? even if they can only look at your dates of 17th Dec.

But as you say.. baby will come when ready. ((Hugs))

I'd definately use a crib or moses basket downstairs as a place for baby to rest during the day and be close to you still - also to save you going up and down to baby. I've found this useful in the past. Also in babys getting used to noise etc.

I can understand the nursery needing done ((hugs)) and the co-sleeping don't apologise for that.. if I had a bigger bed I'd do it for sure! lol we're only in a double and neither of us are small lol

I generally find newborns prefer swaddling at first even in a thin layer, but use gro-bag style sleeping bags with great success. I love them! lol

 

[angie-bum]

Thankyou! trying to. Have done a little painting first thing (touching up areas in the front room that looked tatty...
anyway, need to head upstairs to the nursery, feel fairly energetic for a change so will see what I can accomplish in a few hours.

It's really been blowing a hooly hear, rain pounding on the house in all directions. It has stopped now though. I can hear the wind roaring in the trees somewhere close, but the sun has come out too and is lighting up the front of the house which is a nice change. I even have a hankering to do some weeding out the front of the house and maybe put in some cyclamen. I am wondering if this is 'nesting energy' I am experiencing lol!

 

[Purple Hugs]

Nesting for sure! lol

Hope the weather improved.. we had a dry sunny day today - moon shining high in the sky tonight (not long back from college - well an hour ago). Is FREEZING though.. literally.. -1 according to the car and frost forming on the car after it'd been parked for just under 3 hours!!

I have cyclamen in a hanging basket with pansy's looks lovely I love a winter hanging basket as much as a summer one! lol
Was lovely coming home to the xmas tree twinkling in the front window.

Hope you got your painting done too - and it's coming together ((hugs)) sleep well!

 

[Purple Hugs]

Just dropping by to say.. Congrats on 38 weeks!! 2 weeks till EDD must feel fab!!

Glad your baby let you know she was fine last night and kicked away - also that you enjoyed the moon.

Hope you slept well. x

 

[Purple Hugs]

Hmmm am left wondering now Angie, as I pm'd you yesterday and still no response.. hope all is ok and you're busy with babe in arms! lol
or just busy! ((Hugs))

 

[angie-bum]

hi there Jane, thanks for checking, have responded too your pm. I am just nesting and trying to sort the many things that still need sorting. I have managed to paint the nursery rocking chair and put 'i love my bear' stickers tastefully on it...am quite pleased with that. Still have big box of stuff that other half will not touch that needs sorting in nursery...he still needs to paint the walls, but I expect that will be done after she has arrived. Have just got 2 swaddle blankets off amazon as I have heard it helps with soothing. Also wanted to get the dvd 'happiest baby on the block' but they were out of stock. So if need to be reminded about the 'forth trimester' will look up the videos available on youtube.

I am feeling a bit green this evening and am having lots of bhicks again. Not reading anything into it though. Am just thinking what will be will be. As this is my first and I haven't even reached my due date. I figure she could be cooking for a little time more (though lord knows if I will have any clothes that fit her if she stays in much longer!)

oh yes and I disappeared off hear for a bit because I managed to throw the last of a glass of raspberry leaf tea over my 5 year old beloved laptop and killed it stone dead. Other half had just passed over a 3rd hand mac lap top, but I didn't take to it at first....but it became obvious my poor vaio was stone dead so have had to take to this one instead.

Just keeping my head down at the mo, trying not to be anxious that she's not out yet/ that she will be coming out soon!

 

[Purple Hugs]

((hugs)) glad to hear all fine although nightmare about the laptop! I would never get on with a mac I don't think either! lol never used one ever.
Glad bump is keeping you company with kicks.. though ((hugs)) on sickness and BH's - they're awful for teasing us. I had some killers last night... all for nothing! lol

Try not to worry about size, they so often get it wrong ((Hugs)) have you got any 0-3 month clothes? just in case? handy even if baby is long let alone larger. ((hugs))

Time will soon pass, I can't quite believe how quickly the weeks are going so not concentrating on it will help I'm sure.

Glad you got some nursery bits done too. DH will get there.. or you'll throw his stuff out.. ours isn't sorted either! lol

 

[angie-bum]

Ugh! full of cold, can't breath, also have had 2 days of really bad lower back pain, better on moving but really painful when trying to sleep...dug out my new mama tens machine yesterday morning and went to sleep with it on.

Am soooo near my due date. Am seeing my mw tomorrow, not sure if she will offer sweep tomorrow or what.

Legs, feet and hands are also swollen ++

Have finally sorted the house top to bottom, nursery still needs bloody walls painting, but that is something I will be leaving for hubby to do. Had 3 colleagues around yesterday for a cuppa and chocolate gingerbread, that was really nice to see them. One of the ladies is also pregnant but nearer 20 weeks, so we were able to swap info etc.

It's my works Christmas do today, well this evening, it seems like I have been included in the secret santa, which is very sweet. I hadn't bought a ticket because of thinking I may have just given birth, but now not sure what to do. I suppose it depends on if I can get any sleep this am (it's currently about 2am now) and whether this cold gets worse & whether a sweep is offered today...maybe having contractions by tonight!

Don't know, it would be nice to see everyone and it might be the last time for a while I get out. I missed it last year, bought the ticket (£25) but had to cancel as I got a really heavy cold?flu last year as well and didn't leave the house for a week. I lost the deposit for that but was refunded £15, I still have the tokens somewhere (put them somewhere safe, only found them a couple of weeks ago, seem to have lost them again)! Anyway, rambling now. Just got up to get myself another hot water bottle for my back and to get another honey and lemon down my throat, but seem to be watching telly and surfing the net instead of getting some rest. I am finding it a lot easier to breath sitting on the couch, don't really feel like going to bed when I can't breath lying down and my back hurts when lying too. I suppose I could try it again and if it's a no go I can always bring a duvet downstairs and try sleeping sitting upright. I can actually taste my honey and lemon at the moment which is an improvement. I had to force some food down last night as have lost all interest in food, but being able to taste even a little is nice.

I am wondering what it will be like being a parent. I still haven't given it much thought, one stage at a time me thinks! still have to get through the labour yet.

In the nearer future I am wondering if it will snow by the end of the week and if it will affect me getting to hospital! GB notoriously doesn't cope well with snow and Cornwall is even less prepared as we only get snow once in a blue moon and there are so many b-roads that get little attention. When it snowed last year you couldn't get up our road for 2 days. Anyway, maybe we won't get snow, though once home with baby, it can snow all it likes =)

Right, need to finish my honey and lemon, stop watching crap night telly and get my arse back upstairs with a hot water bottle, I won't know if I can get comfy or not unless I try.

Okay, nighty night.

 

[Purple Hugs]

lol you ramble away hun!
Firstly I think the xmas do might just make you feel a bit better! lol
Even if you are aching etc after sweep well unless it's full blown contractions you'd be able to go still - would you be driving yourself? As that is to be considered I guess in case you can't get back. Maybe take notes and bag in car - so you could go directly to delivery unit - worse case scenario.

Hope your appointment goes well and they offer the sweep.. try asking if not! lol you never know.

I am also a tad swollen this week - wedding ring is a bit tight. Am up also at stupid o'clock! lol Just missed you by 44 mins according to this, so hope you ahve gone back to bed and all works to get you some sleep ((hugs))

 

[angie-bum]

Hi Jane, Mw didn't do sweep but I went to an appointment with a consultant just an hour ago and she listened to my reasoning re dates and looked at the 1st scans data at 9 weeks saying my due date was 11th Dec. I explained that I wasn't worried at the moment about her coming out or not if she came b4 Christmas but I would be worried at how long I was left coming up to new year as I have never felt the later dating scan was right. She looked at my notes a little more and said that actually they had just decided on a new policy that took the earliest scan as the dating scan and has suggested that if baby has not arrived by 23rd that I have an induction then! She tried to do a stretch and sweep, cervix is effaced by baby not far enough into the canal. I was 2/5 2 weeks ago, but babs seems to have popped out again! anyway the consultatnt suggested mw do another sweep this monday coming and I would then go for induction 2 days b4 xmas. Needless to say I will be trying lots of natural induction methods over the weekend! I don't want to be induced but this does appease my concerns about her size and them getting her dates wrong. It means she has over a week to go to make her own way out, but if she is as developed as I suspect she won't go too overdue b4 they help her out. And even if they did get the dates right then she would still be full term. So feel happy at this result. I would still like her to come out naturally, but at least now there is a back up plan that I am happy with.

So anyway, am going out to the staff do in half and hour. A colleague cannot go and has given me her place and won't take any money for the ticket. She is the lady that came to mine yesterday. She is due in May, I was going to get her a nice prezzie anyway, but this way I can get her a really nice prezzie to say thanks. Even if they weren't able to sweep my membranes, I do feel like something is happening down below, a bit more tightening around my bump and a bit of ache in the back, that and a night of eating and dancing and babs might get the right idea and come out on her due date =)