Congratulation Freya! So wonderful to hear that you had a beautiful birth experience.
Welcome, little Kit!
Enjoy your babymoon snuggles!
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Congratulation Freya! So wonderful to hear that you had a beautiful birth experience.
Welcome, little Kit!
Enjoy your babymoon snuggles!
You sound so happy Freya. Welcome Kit!
Oh welcome to the world baby boy!! Congratulations Freya...and wowsers to baby's position with the hand :o
How is your little one going Fraya?
Has anyone heard from Ilithyia? I hope everything is going okay.
After a little scare from the Morph scan (really disliking ultrasounds now), a rescan showed everything is fine so all is going well, besides restless legs and food poinoning on the weekend that is :) I rang my local hospital to book in. Their earlist appointment is end of May, which is when I am due :) So they said they will find a time for me and ring back. Still waiting for that call.
Kit is doing great! 10 days old today. Such a chilled out little lad. Could do with a bit more sleep but it'll come in time. Im a little sad that he is my last baby; I feel like I could home birth a million times over it was so amazing! A little.......disappointing that I didnt have the option to do it with the other boys but its a great way to finish up my pregnancy/birth part of my life :)
I should have my photos/video from my birth photographer soon and I cant wait to see it so I can experience from the "outside" the whole thing.
Hope Ilithyia is just very busy snuggling a squishy and hasnt thought about us nosy gals wondering whats happening here ;)
That's so nice Freya :)
At the moment I'm still in awe that people go through this more than once. I'd love a big family, but can't imagine having a newborn while I have older children to care for as well. Does it get easier with each one?
Still no word from Ilithyia? What about Jen's sister?
I won't lie. Some weeks it's absolute chaos and I wonder what on earth I was thinking. I'm short on patience and time and sleep and a whole lot of other things. Then other weeks we have a fantastic run and they all get along and I feel like Martha Stewart and all is right with the world lol our situation is unique in that we have a child with a neurological disability so I have the added fun of therapy sessions and other stuff as well. The three older boys are at school every day so I really only have 2 under 2 at home which is pretty easy (for now haha).
They grow so quickly before you know it they are 8 and independent and nearly as tall as you; leaving you wonder where time is disappearing too!
Wow, you're a wonder woman! Three in school means uniforms washed and ironed, homework done, lunches packed and out the door by a certain time. Then to have one with additional special needs on top of that!
You must be super organised to ensure everyone is fed and dressed and bathed and all the other things they need!
Organised I am not lol like this morning, we make it to school on time but one forgot his hat, 2 forgot their water bottles and the toddler was still half dressed in his pj's (with yesterdays shorts thrown on) :shakehead:
Hey ladies! Just thought I'd pop in and say hi, and let you know that we are expecting a new little blessing to join our family in October, if all goes well. Planning for a home birth again. :)
Congratulations Cricket!
Thanks EssTee! :)
Hey - I saw that Princess Kate is having her baby at home. I imagine having a baby at the palace isn't quite the same as a regular home birth - she'll probably have half the medical staff of the UK available to her, but still I feel like this could be a nice little boost to home birthing. And really, who can blame her given the craziness of the last experience.... The whole "having to sneak in to the hospital" thing and reporters camped out waiting to see them, and the public appearance at discharge, and then the sad business with the prank phone call and that nurse. :( I'm not surprised she's avoiding the hospital entirely. I hope it does put home births in the public eye a little more!
I'm booked in with my midwives. Going to have the same one who delivered my last baby. Loved her - she gave me lots of information to make choices and was very supportive and easy going about what I wanted to do. They're going to book a dating scan for mid-March, which I'm looking forward to. Right now I'm feeling really good, which has me worried.... My last few pregnancies I've been so sick I couldn't function, and while I'm definitely enjoying feeling good, I'm a little concerned that everything is proceeding normally for baby.
How is everyone else doing?
Congratulations Cricket. Catch 22 with the feeling good. You want to enjoy it but can't help worry that it means something :)
I agree with the Princess Kate thing. I could not imagine that her Palace birth would be typical but anything would be better then what happened last time.
Those of you that have scans... Do the scan people often ask you where you're birthing?
As I'm HBAC I don't tell many people where I plan to birth and I prefer to avoid the subject. But if I have to, I say I'm having a hospital birth but haven't chosen where yet.
I hate lying but don't want to deal with any negativity. Just want to prepare myself for the likelihood I'm going to be asked?
EssTee, be out and proud. Just say "I am planning to home birth". Their reaction is their own problem and nothing to do with you. I didn't get any negative comments, only a few woman saying they couldn't do it themselves which is totally fine - it is up to every woman to decide how it is best for them to birth.
Has anyone heard from Eenee? She hasn't posted here for a while. Does anyone have her on FB to check up on her?
I have so far been told I am brave or crazy. Most people are more curious then negative. The only real negative comments were from my GP when I told her.
OMG Kazzo, I didn't know you are going again! What on earth were you thinking?! Three birthdays in the same month is crazy! We call it birthday week and it is like a second christmas :) A second christmas with a crap load of cake.
Freya - I still think getting out the door at all with a newborn is an achievement, let alone on time! Hats? Drink bottles? It's not like you live in a hot climate or anything ;)
Cricket - congratulations! That's very exciting. Do I read your ticker right... Is this number 8? Wow, well done. We were just talking about my awe of big families. Easier said than done, but try not to worry about the lack of ms, and just enjoy this special time. When is your first mw appt?
Homebirth is very common in the UK. Most of the midwives on the CMP are from the UK, as that is just what they do over there. Still, good on Kate for wanting one! I hope it is a beautiful experience for her.
EssTee - from memory, the sonographer didn't ask me about birth choices, and I had to have 5 ultrasounds with DS. If they do, it's just small talk, so you can be vague if you want. Is it the negativity about homebirth or VBAC that concerns you most, or both? If it is just homebirth, you can talk about how you've found a fantastic midwife, or that you've chosen a IM to increase your chance of VBAC. If it is negativity toward VBAC, I don't have too much experience there. Just focus on the positive, and remain confident!
AFM - we are doing great! Bubby boy is now 11 weeks old, and I'm in denial that he'll ever get older than 3 months. If I could make time stand still, it would be right now, he's just so delicious! I went through a foggy patch thinking "if I knew it would be this hard, would I have been so keen to volunteer?" But that had all lifted now. He had his tongue & lip tie released a couple of weeks ago. Feeding so much better now! I'm using a SNS to compensate my low milk supply. Pumping 3-4 hourly. A lot of work, but so worth it. Makes me feel so good when he refuses the bottle and looks for me!
How are all of the other homebirth babies going?
Freya - we don't make any commitments for the morning around here. ;) Well done to get your crew out the door! It is tough! There's always a last minute feeding, or potty accident, or spill, or lost shoes, or something....
EssTee - I'm in Canada, not Aus, so things are a little different here. Home birth is not super common, but it is fully funded and regulated through our provincial health care. I have had some negative reactions when I've told people at the hospital that we're homebirthing, but generally, people have been very encouraging and supportive. I do book in at the hospital, to streamline things in case a transfer is necessary, but the booking people have always said "all the best, and we hope we don't see you back here!" :) I think you should feel free to tell people that you're planning to have your baby at home, and that you've done the research and feel that it's a very safe and reasonable option for you and your baby. If they persist with negativity, then you might have to come up with a firm but polite way of saying "I'm not discussing this further."
I've heard that home birth is more common in the UK, but I'm thinking that the royal baby's birth will certainly be global news, and hopefully raise awareness about the safety of home birth in other countries.
Yes, this is baby #8 for us. DH and I think this will likely be our last, but we'll see how things go. Big families are not so common these days, but I do know of a few others in our area, and TBH most people have been very positive about our family (at least to our faces!). I haven't had any of the terribly rude comments that other people seem to get... It surprises me a little how people think we must be "super parents" or something - 100+ years ago people were having larger families than ours without running water, washing machines, grocery stores, or even the medical care that we have now! We have it easy. :)
I'm feeling a little iffy today. :) With my last baby, I could barely stand up for about a month. Even sitting up was too much at times. I laid on the couch and was completely useless. It was awful. DH ran the house and did all the errands. He had to take time off work. When we discovered we were expecting again, the ms was my biggest worry, so I've been cleaning and preparing meals for the freezer like mad, but so far it hasn't been necessary. I'll see the midwife at the end of March - at almost 11 weeks.
Glad you and your little one are doing well Turtledove! It does go by so quickly!
Ha, see the problem, just like with how DS came to be is DH and I talked about another baby. It seems that is all my body needs to hear and hey presto. I am pregnant. I am due at the end of the month so hopefully a week in between all three :) Throw in my birthday at the end of April and mothers day and we can have 5 weeks of cake :dance::
I'm still feeling unusually good, so I took another pregnancy test today and thankfully it came up strong positive right away. Maybe I should just enjoy this.... :) No doubt in a couple weeks I'll be hanging over the toilet bowl and wishing for this feeling again. ;)
I think we may have picked a girl name too, which is remarkable - usually we can't settle anything until 38 weeks or so!
Kazzo - I hear you on the close birthdays! We have three in August, one in September, two (going to be three!) in October, one in November and one in December. And then one odd-ball in May. By the time Christmas comes around, I'm pretty much out of ideas and out of money for gifts. :)
True. I also think they were more likely to have help -- whether family or hired. Reading the biography of Elizabeth Prentiss, 1800s, I was amazed how many maids, cooks, etc they had, and they weren't a wealthy family. Not discrediting, I'm sure they all worked hard, and a baby is a full time job no matter what era!:
Glad the test was still positive, so you are able to relax and enjoy :)
That is true too, Turtledove. At least for some families. They had someone to help with the washing, while I have a washing machine, etc. I have read some pioneer biographies though that leave me in total amazement - huge families in a one room cabin in the woods, no help, no near neighbours, and a husband gone trapping furs all winter... I can't even imagine.
Hi ladies, thank you for the replies! I've mostly avoided the topic of homebirth because I'm vbac as well. I'm actually petrified someone will somehow find out and report my IM. She even tried to tell me it's highly unlikely, but I would feel so guilty if it happened. I know a number of people linked to people in midwifery, and I'm not sure their feelings on HB. One of them is my MIL's sister, and works at the hospital that I plan to book in at...
Anyway, I'm sure it will all work out towards the end... I think just telling people I trust for now is best...
I hope that the rest of you are well. Sorry for the separate post my phone was doing weird things!
It will work out in the end :) Keep it quiet if the naysayers will bring you down, at the end of the day it isn't really anyone else's business anyway.
I think I'm out ladies. Started spotting yesterday, and today I have red bleeding and cramping. I suspected something wasn't right from the start, since I never really felt pregnant, but DH and I are both very sad to have this little one leave us. I've never miscarried before, and I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do. I don't really want to go in to Emerg for poking and prodding, and my midwives aren't in the office, since it's a weekend.
Wishing you all the best with your bellies and babies.
im sorry Hun. ive lost two little ones, and just let it happen. no prodding necessary.
take care of yourself
I'm so sorry to hear that Cricket. :hug: for your loss.
Don't feel that you have to leave this thread. You are more than welcome to stick around and chat :)
:hug:
Thanks so much for the kind words, ladies. I ended up going in to the hospital yesterday because I was going crazy thinking "yes, this is over" one minute and then "no, maybe everything is ok" the next minute. I wanted a definite answer on what was happening, one way or the other. It turned out to be harder than I thought to get an answer! I spent several hours waiting in the emergency department before they were able to see me on Saturday. They drew blood to check hormone levels. The doctor was very kind and did an ultrasound right away, but he couldn't tell what was happening. Too early, baby too small. He said come back tomorrow. So I went back today and they did an abdominal and a vaginal ultrasound, but again, it was inconclusive. They could see a fetal sac, but couldn't tell anything else. They took more blood, and sent me home, saying they would call me with the results. A few hours later they called and said that the hormone levels were half what they were yesterday, so this baby is definitely leaving us. I am sad, but also relieved to know what is happening. Anyways, I just thought I'd let you know how we were, and thank you again for your kindness and support. Maybe one of these days I'll be back again. :)
Sorry to hear that Cricket. You must be feeling really sad to say goodbye to your little one. Take care of yourself hun :hug:
Hello ladies, how is everyone? How are you coping, Cricket?
Back on the topic of immunisations, has anyone seen the movie "Bought" ? You can view it free online until the end of the weekend. I can't post the link, but if you goggle it it should come up. Very worthwhile if you get the time, I really recommend it. It's about how the pharmaceutical companies are controlling things, background info on immunisations, etc.
Just thought Id share; got my birth video from my amazing birth photographer. If anyone would like to view it, pm me for the link as Im not sure what the go is with posting youtube links on the forum :D
me please!
Me too!
How is little Kit doing, Freya?
Pm'd you both :)
Kit is doing great! Such a little porker, its so weird having a chunky baby again when my last lad was low birth weight and is still very very small for his age. K is 7 weeks old already, I wish time would slow down, I want him to stay a little baby for a bit longer :(
DH is booked in for a vasectomy on monday and Im not sure I want him to do it but he is insistent. I think Id have one more baby but if he is done, he's done. Still really sad to close the door on that chapter of our lives though.
Discharged from midwifery care too. Both the Midwife and I were a bit sad but I'll be attending their mums and bubs group at clinic every month so she can watch K grow up. I gave her a lovely picture framed of her holding Kit just after he was born. She said she'll hang it in the clinic which is cool!
Thanks Freya!
Glad to hear he is doing well, and getting chubby. Are you breastfeeding?
You're doing amazing with five children. I still can't imagine my DS being old enough to be a big brother, or having the energy to keep up with more than one! (Still getting used to not having 9 hours sleep each night... Ha!)
Yes exclusively breastfeeding. Im completely lazy and breastfeeding is just easier (and cheaper lol). We've gotten into a sort of rhythm now that only really gets ruined when Dh is home ;) No ones been late for school yet and the house doesnt look to much like a bombs gone off and Im only about 50% zombified from broken sleep lol
ETA - we've been blessed with very flexible and calm babies considering we have 5 kids. So we arent an accurate portrayal of parenting babies lol
Beautiful, amazing, wow!! I cried... That was just beautiful. You're making me want to give birth again!
You look amazing. I love the scene where you are holding Kit, and smiling up at one of your big boys. What blessed little people to have such a loving mummy.
Have you written your birth story yet? You didn't use the birth pool?
Exclusively breastfeeding isn't lazy, it takes time & commitment! It was the one thing that I wouldn't consider any alternatives to, and the one thing that didnt happen for us :( glad it is going well for you.
And maybe the calm & flexible babies is a result of wonderful parenting :)
Awesome video Freya. Beautiful birth, and love watching baby Kit, and then when the big kids joined in. Thank you so much for sharing.
DD1 enjoyed your video too.