Home Delivery

Well I'm glued! Are you?
Home delivery tonight on itv is one hour dedicated to home births.
Six months ago we experienced our third home delivery and had two amazing independent midwives with us all the way. We were asked to be part if the programme but declined, as mini#3 came 5 weeks early and hubby dipped out to put a dog on a drip it was probably for the best but I promise to share my wonderful experience in full one day with you. Happy viewing xx

Here is baby......

These few words can have an assortment of reactions. When I told mini1 2 and half years ago that she'd be getting a new sister she was fine but then at just 2 years old herself I don't think she fully understood.  I find this time round very different, minimini1 now 2 years old is very much mamas girl and prefers mama over almost anything (except chocolate!) so she is showing similar reactions as what I experienced first time around, but I suspect on arrival she could be very different. Mini1 now however is four and very curious, upset at times but not about having an additional sibling but at the fact it is a boy, I think I've mentioned before as far as she is concerned the baby is a girl and she'll be called lovely!
I'm finding 30 weeks with a visible bump that the chats about baby are easier, there is something they can see ' the bump '. As with many topics there are amazing books out there and we ourselves have played with baby dolls but what I came across recently tops all this.
The very talented Fridas Tierchen. The new doll in the collection is this wonderful pregnant mama who has a bump, bump/baby comes out, baby is swaddled and popped into a sling. The simplicity, play and imagination is perfect for little ones and a great tool for explaining in a fun way how things are going to go. I think a trip to the online shop is to be added on the to-do list and there are some great fancy dress masks on there too, so possibly presents off baby to his new big sisters!

what's been going on....

sooooo much..... 

Entertaining the little ones as the weather continues to not brighten. 

Booking appointment with independent midwife

School parents evening ready for September!

New work project that's really exciting

VAT return, not so exciting to say the least

Baking, playing, crafting and making peg dolls riding on cardboard cut out animals

In addition to this there has been other daily chores that have been so time consuming but I've also been enjoying reading a recent article in this Tuesdays Guardian about an increase in fear of giving birth to mums to be, we need to offer the good happy positive birth stories, I have two that I'm happy to share and hope the October birth of our mini newbie will be as positive (already positive thinking and it will be a breeze!)

In addition to the article on pre-birth, Radio 4 had a good listen this morning about life, sex and relationships post birth.

If you'd like to hear a positive birth story pop back and I'll post during the next week, got to dash now me and mini1 are ready to take out our lemon drizzle cake and drizzle with that lovely lemon syrup, mmmmmmmm

a private midwife 'the meeting'

I'm sitting waiting for Elsie to arrive, she is the private midwife I spoke to just over a week ago to discuss the option of private midwife care. I had no need to do this back in SE London as East Dulwich had the wonderful Brierley Group. The Brierley worked from their offices based in the old East Dulwich hospital but were part of the NHS and if required you'd be accompanied to Kings (around the other corner) in a flash. Worcestershire however is very very different well this is my experience to date.
With the Brierley I had two wonderful homebirths in 2008 and 2010, both planned, both quick, both comfortable and really there is nothing like being in your own home and bed.
Back to todays meeting...already I've received a call with the progress they are making which is just a few minutes late. I find it strange and a little sad that I'm having to go down this route but the support to date both in wanted a home birth and in calls I've made has been been. A month ago I had to make a fairly urgent call, I appeared to be leaking! I called my community midwife team, left a voicemail (it was around 11am) I explained what was happening very calmly as this is #3 and asked if they could return my call to advise on what I should do and if possible shed any light what could be happening, to this day I have not had a call on either my landline or mobile! That plus a few other incidents has left me not feeling confident with the system so, that's why I'm here hoping that we and the private midwife all like each other and have her part of our homelife where she will dip in and out over the next few months and a big dip in for the birth!
Cars pulled up.....fill you in next week!

Aaarrgghh I forgot.....

Listening to Radio 4 this morning I took in the stories of ladies and men who had forgotten their children.
I can see how this happens - well some of them. My forgetfulness isn't forgetting the children possibly because they are so loud, vocal and chatty you can't really miss them let alone forget them but mine is forgetting dates if they're not put down (with a reminder!), forgetting what I went into a room for and forgetting that I have put something in the aga. This absent mindedness peaks and troughs and I think at 5 months pregnant we're seeing a peak, what have I forgot today?
Well little ones have been collected from their nursery session, bathed and fed and are now sitting colouring whilst I sort supper for me and Mr Loveliness.....aahhhh so there is my lunch! I have just opened up the aga to find my succulent home made breaded chicken pieces burnt to a cinder, how did I forget it? did my hunger pass, did I get caught up doing something else? I have no idea but at least with supper being in there now and it's no just for me I am unlikely to forget it, also the wonderful aroma that is in my kitchen at the moment is not allowing me to forget. I can already see the roll of Mr Lovelinesses eyes!
Enjoy your supper all.

Out with the Old & In with the New

Third time round you have pretty much everything even the things that got passed about came back, but I don't know if it's because this time it's a boy or that I know deep down that this time it's 'my last' time that I feel the need for a splurge. With some items it's a sure thing we'd be getting new but with equipment...moses baskets, seats, cots, high chairs then I should be using what I've got.
With both of the girls I had a fairly standard moses 'basket' I lined it out and fitted it with my own handiwork of textiles which say it myself looked great, moreso second time round but that could have been to do with the glorious sunny summer months that followed the birth?
So what am I thinking, well I reckon if I wasn't pregnant then I'd be planning because what better reason than a moses basket from Moba, I found the review on Bambino Goodies and as my little ones would say "we NEEEEED it", I just love them, they're ultra modern, simple, clean, in a funky colourful rubber (well not really rubber as Nat says at BG "for the detail hungry it's low density polyethylene") babe baskets with airholes and after little boy boo has grown out of it I can already see a whole load of things it can be used for; laundry, toys, pegging out basket, sprinkler.....
The colours are great, it's wipeable, breathable, made in the UK, and it won't scratch your legs when carrying it! You really don't need much more convincing (if you do check out links above with more tech details). We love you Moba and thank you for this uplifting inspirational new take on the wicker moses baskets. Now I just have to make sure this one doesn't come too early (like mini1) so we can get one when they launch this summer, oh yeah and pick a colour, now that will be tricky!

same but oh sooo different!

Okay then if you read the last post which really there wasn't much there at all except for the illustration with 'boy' underneath you may have got the idea that I was a little surprised by the confirmed news this afternoon that we are pregnant with a boy. YES I WAS SURPRISED!  Happy? YES! but still surprised and I tell you why, I am exactly the same as I was with both of the girls:
- no pregnancy symptoms apart from the initial obvious one, but no morning sickness (lucky I know)
- no weight gain especially apart from the obvious but again as the others small bump which to those who don't know even at 5 months do not notice
- no cravings as such but the same favourite foods as with the girls; citrus and berry fruits, salt and vinegar and not really going off foods
So at the end of the scan the sonographer said "you wanted to know the sex?" "yes" we both replied and although Mr Loveliness is denying it now he did think they were going to say "a girl" but the sonographer didn't instead he said "well it's a boy" I shot up and pretty loudly announced "No way, OMG, how's that? you are joking?" mmmm I know a little OTT! The sonographer must have thought I was a little bit crazy as he then went one step further zoomed in and hovered the mouse towards "well that looks like a penis to me!" 'Oh yeah right' I replied thinking oh goodness mini1 is in for a shock because there has been no telling her this could be a boy as much as it could be a girl as she too has been adamant that the baby is called Lovely and Lovely is a girl! We now know she is a he and I'll let you know how the idea of a brother goes down with the mini1's soon.

Hello baby.....

Two months ago we went for our first scan and little dot waved on screen saying hello.

We came away happy and with photos (x6) to show the little ones at home, minimini1 didn't really take it in but mini1 (age 4) looked and said "what? you have 6 babies in your tummy", love them as I do I'm relieved to say there is only one boy or girl we don't yet know but later today we find out if the family will be.......

OR

i'll see you later to share the news xx