Winter babies club (due Dec 2013, Jan/ Feb 2014)

[tarafitness]

Apologies if one of these has already been started but I couldn't find it if it has.

I'm due 21st December with my second child. My first 'child' is 17 years old so I'm very much approaching this as a new pregnancy! Times have changed so much since I was last pregnant, I didn't have a mobile phone, never mind these fabulous pregnancy apps you get now!

Anyway, would love to hear from other expectant Mums. Particularly those with experience of local NCT classes as I've yet to sign up for one and I'd welcome hearing about your experiences.

x

[Bkk]

Hi Tara, I'm due on 29th December with my first and would also be interested to hear about the NCT classes too! Ill be keeping an eye on this thread. Hope that you and bump are well!

[tarafitness]

Hi BKK, congratulations!

I did a bit of research and there are two evening classes that are very local (to me anyway!)

http://www.nct.org.uk/course/17843013

http://www.nct.org.uk/course/17843048

[Bkk]

Brilliant, thanks for these links! It's all becoming very real now!x

[tarafitness]

no probs :-)

Yeah, me too, have suddenly started showing this week, it's a good job my work already know!

exactly 6 months to go today (if baby comes bang on due date of course!)

x

[tarafitness]

Hi BKK, have you had your appointment yet for 16 week scan?

When I was seen at Midwives' House a few weeks ago I was told that I should see the midwife at the Garden Surgery, but when I rang them to arrange they said that it's actually just a GP appointment, and I don't see the midwife (who's actually just retired, so it'll be a different one!) until after my 20 week scan.

All the other pregnancy forums talk of 16 week appointments being with a midwife, not GP... I'm confused now!

x

[tarafitness]

Any other local ladies due during winter? x

[Privatebanking]

Hi ladies,

I am in West Dulwich. Our first baby and due 31/12/13!

I have had the 16 week mw appointment with the mw team at my local GP practice.

I believe if your GP doesn't have a resident midwife, a doctor can see you for appointments. See how your first appointment with the doctor goes or ask to be seen sooner than 20 weeks. Alternatively you could ask to have your midwifery care at Midwives House on Coldharbour Lane which is where you likely had your booking appointment. I found them to be very helpful answering queries, so don't hesitate to ring and put forward your concerns or preferences. xx

[tarafitness]

Hi Privatebanking, congratulations on your pregnancy!

Apart from backache, I'm really enjoying this pregnancy, even the weather doesn't bother me but that's probably due to not being that large right now - feel very sorry for women who are a lot further along!

I went to see the lovely Dr Cliffe at the Gardens Surgery who explained that the reason they don't have 16 week appointments with the midwife is to ensure that when you really need to see her - at say 34 weeks+ - she is available and you're not prevented from seeing her by 16 week pregnant ladies taking up the appointment slots!

Sensible I reckon, and I have no problem with it, I was just confused because the lady at my booking in appt at Midwives House said that I'd be seeing one, even wrote it in my notes.

Tbh there's nothing more that a midwife would have done differently to my GP so makes sense to see her instead. Also, I do question seeing a 'surgery GP' who won't be delivering my child... it does feel strange!

x

[Privatebanking]

Hi Tara,

Congratualtions to you also!

You're right. This is my first time around so there are probably many things I'm over-looking. What your surgery has said makes sense. Now the nausea/sickness is over, for me it feels like nothing is happening. I get the odd fluttering sensation and am just starting to grow a lower belly.

My 16wk appointment was pretty much an introduction to the midwives service at my GP practice. They took a urine sample but didn't weigh me (thank goodness!) but they did give me some a few books (Emma's diary, How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy and A Parents Guide to Money). It took about 15mins max. Not a waste of time but I'm sure they could have fit that into a later appointment.

Where are you due to have your baby? Have you signed up for the NCT classes? I sent off the form for classes at Dulwich Hospital but if I don't hear from them soon, I'll book onto the NCT ones.

Where are you planning to have your baby, if you've decided as yet? I'm going with a birth at Kings and am looking into hypnobirthing classes.

Delia x

[Krini]

Hey,

Congratulations to both of you!

I'm due on 20th December with my first baby and have just had my second appointment with my The Lanes midwife. I'm at the DMC GP practice, which I wouldn't recommend, but it does have The Lanes Midwives attached to it. And they have been amazing.

From the booking appointment to now, they have been really good. They do home visits and you get a dedicated midwife who comes to see you and follows you through the pregnancy. Later on they do "Meet the Midwives" evenings, so you can meet the rest of the team, in case your midwife is unable to attend your birth.

I got my initial appointment after phoning the surgery, who then got me an appointment with The Lanes' assistant who got me into the "system". All very smooth.

Because The Lanes do home visits, they actually end up assisting in quite a lot of homebirths. In ED the rate is 33% of first time mums compared to something like 5% nationally. I'm attached to Kings as well, but will probably only go there for scans and if a home birth becomes impossible...

We haven't signed up for NCT classes yet, either. Our midwife mentioned that there are some private classes (so not NHS and not NCT) run by a former midwife in ED. I have a note on it at home but can't remember the name of it right now. But will need to compare to the NCT offering before making a choice...

Delia - have you found out where they offer hypnobirthing classes yet? I might be interested in that as well...

Kristine

[tarafitness]

Delia - I'm planning to have baby at King's. By a strange twist of fate I actually had my son there (even though I lived in Chelsea at the time) back in 1996, so I have a soft spot for the place.

When I had my 12 week scan I was very impressed with information they were able to give me, almost immediately, when other mothers-to-be I know have had to wait up to two weeks for the results of blood tests.

I'm hoping to have a water birth, from what I've read it really helps with the pain during labour. I know that the hospital have their own (I'm going to go along to one of their talks one day!), but they're available on a first come first served basis and I'd hate to find they were all in use! So I might end up hiring a 'birth pool in a box', provided the hospital allows it.

I haven't signed up to the NCT courses yet, must do that! Will probably be doing the Monday evening course as our weekends tend to be quite busy.. and no doubt we'll be wanting to fit in even more while we still can before baby arrives!

Kristine - hello and congratulations! We're due within a day of each other :-)

The Lanes Midwives sound amazing, can anyone see them or are they just for patients registered at DMC?

I'd considered a home birth, but we're hoping to have some fairly substantial work carried out to our house so might actually not be living in our house come December!

I'm also interested in hypnobirthing and there's a lady called Hollie who has been recommended a number of times on here. The courses aren't cheap though, so will need to convince OH that it's worth the cost - in addition to NCT classes - fingers crossed!

There are two spaces left on the October course (see her page here), and three on the November one. apparently there's a group discount of 10% available so if the three of us signed up to the November one we'd save a few ??s

x

[Krini]

Hi Tara,

Unfortunately, it would appear that the Lanes are only for women registered with DMC. Seems they have had trouble catering to the recent baby boom (http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,487106), although I haven't experienced any issues myself...

Thanks for the links to both NCT classes and hypnobirthing. I'll discuss it with my partner and let you know if we decide to go ahead so we can get the group discount.

Best,

Kristine

[Privatebanking]

Hi Ladies,

I was born in Kings many moons ago and agree that the level of detail at the scan was impressive. Also Kings do a 32 week scan which most other hospitals don't.

I'd certainly be interested in the hypnobirthing group. Myself and hubby's working hours span days, evenings and weekends so would need to plan far in advance to find suitable days. I had Hollie on my list and also Judith Flood who is a midwife and runs sessions at St Thomas's. Both have received very good reviews.

Delia

[CocoC]

Hello ladies

Can I join you please? I'm due on 4th December with my first. Like you Kristine, I'm under the care of the Lanes midwives and it has been an absolute pleasure so far. I am also planning for a homebirth all being well, and am taking Hollie Stroud's hypnobirthing course :) Perhaps we can compare notes/ tips! :)

Tara and Bkk - I have had two friends who have gone through NCT with Tessa Dailey and they thought very highly of it and of her. We're booked on in September I think it is.

Delia I think if you're interested in taking Hollie's course she's got spaces in October from memory.

Lovely to 'meet' you all! x

[Bkk]

Tara, sorry only just got your message. I've been pretty ill with HG and had to have time off work, things are easing off now and am now half a stone lighter! I'm with Oakwood linked to forest hill and they have been brilliant with me. I've booked my NCT course at forest hill as it worked out better hours for us and I've also booked hypnobirthing with Hollie starting in October. This baby is costing me a fortune already!!!

Hope all are coping with the heat, I'm a teacher so am totally exhausted with 30 5 year olds asking constant question and a recent OFSTED inspection. But summer holidays around the corner.

Lovely to see our group growing now! Xx

[alieh]

Hi! I'm due my third baby on 31st December. I'm also with The Lanes (for the third time....they're amazing!). Nice to see a group of Winter babies emerging!

[Privatebanking]

Hi Alieh,

Welcome. You are due the same day as me although I am a first timer. I am with the Paxton Green midwives in West Dulwich.

After much disucssion I have booked the hypnobirthing course at St Thomas's hospital in October. Mainly because of our working hours, a Sunday suits us better.

I hope everyone is well. I am finally starting to get the lift in energy of the 2nd trimester. Long may it last :-)

[mollie]

Hi,

I run the New NCT Birth and Beyond Courses which are held in SE5 at Camberwell Leisure Centre. There are the usual traditional NCT Antenatal courses locally too.

There are spaces on the Birth and Beyond course starting on 29th Oct, which may fit in with your dates.

Also I run the NCT Early Days Courses which run for 6 weeks postnatally.

These are held in Christ Church Barry Road.

Finally, I also run the Introducing Solids courses, also at Christ Church, these can be booked for when your babies are around 4-5 months old so you can start thinking about which approach you may want to take.

So, there's lots to think about! Contact Alison on [email protected] for more information or PM me.

[Krini]

Hello ladies,

We're now booked on the NCT course with Tessa Dailey starting 28th October. Maybe we'll see some of you there?

Still undecided about hypnobirthing...

Anyone been to the Baby Show at Kensington Olympia before? Is it worth it or just a way to get you sucked into spending more money?

Best from Halfway-on-Friday Kristine ;)

[tarafitness]

Hiya, how strange, was just about to type and this message came up!

I'm also booked on the NCT course starting 28th October, really looking forward to it.

I was thinking of doing Hollie's hypnobirthing course (if I can persuade my OH!) in November but it'll actually run parallel to the NCT course and might be a bit much to have them both in the same week.

Soooo... if I can persuade him that we really want to part with the best part of ?300, and there are still spaces, I might try and book on the October course. I really think it would be worthwhile, it's just a shame he doesn't!

Delia - do you have any details of the hypnobirthing course at St Thomas' you could send me?

So how is everyone getting on? I have my 20 week anomaly scan tomorrow, very excited to see baby again, but worried they'll identify something wrong. It's all a bit fraught this pregnancy malarky!

Tara x

[Privatebanking]

Hi ladies,

Hope all is well.

Tara - here's a link to the course I've booked. http://www.hypnobirthing-london.co.uk/www.hypnobirthing-london.co.uk/Welcome.html I've read many good reviews and actually found this place through an old thread on here. I had to persuade OH a bit but I gave a whole list of positives and he knows I'm not keen on the drugs available and would prefer to go natural if at all possible...

All the very best for your scan tomorrow, I'm sure all will be fine! Mine is booked to be done at 22 weeks later this month so I'm having to wait longer than usual. Are you finding out what gender your baby is? I'm so tempted but also like the idea of a surprise.

I'm popping along to the Orla Kiely sample sale today in Clapham to see if I can find a nice changing bag :)

D x

[tarafitness]

Thanks! That's a lot cheaper... though there are half the number of sessions.. mind you, they do run for the whole day. Food for thought!

At least you can put a deposit down, it's a shame you can't with Hollie's class, OH balked at the thought of parting with all the money straight away... especially as we've just paid for the NCT classes!

My scan was also going to be at 22 weeks, but I rang up the Harris Birthright centre and brought it forward to tomorrow (I'll be 19+6) as we're going away on holiday and I wouldn't be able to enjoy my holiday properly until I knew that everything was okay... will also be fun to (hopefully) find out the gender!

x

[Privatebanking]

Hi Tara,

The main reason I chose the classes at St Thomas's was because of the timings. Weekends are much easier for OH and myself due to work commitments. They are two full days so similar number of total hours and the cost can be spread. I also like the idea of the classes being taken by a midwife. If it wasn't for this I would defintely have booked with Hollie!

Best wishes for tomorrow - I hope baby is compliant and gets in the right position for you to see everthing necessary!

D x

[tarafitness]

Thank you very much... me too! :-) x