Hi...

I was just wondering how you're all preparing yourselves for the whole life changing occurance of going through labour and having a new baby... I know I'm expecting my 2nd (10 years since my 1st).

So I'm feeling rather out of it all, and finding myself trying to repeatedly tell myself we'll be fine, we'll manage as we did before. I'm not sure who I'm trying to convince...

I've been told by mw babe could be here any time... So my bags are packed and the house is more or less sorted (thanks to DS & OH working hard) I feel as though I'm walking on eggshells all the time, my bump is very very low, I'm so uncomfy, can hardly walk much now and bending just doesn't happen...

I've done the birthing plan with my mw (due to changes at the local hospital, we've opted for preparing for a home birth, mainly due to DS's labour only being 36 mins), so as far as I can see it's all sorted; just playing the waiting game... So what to do now??? Feel as though the longer I'm to wait, the more nervous I'm getting???

I dont know if its any help, but reading about it, helps me a lot. Learning about new ways to look after the LO, and have the right mental attitude towards motherhood whilst beeing prepared for things that wont so so smooth, makes me feel like I am a bit more clued up and prepared. May be all an illusion, lol, but for now, thats all I can do.

xx

If your anything like me I think you worry more because you have done it before!!
I, personally, think that when I was having DS1 I was so oblivious to everything and just went with it all, I knew it was going to hurt but he was going to come out one way or another.
This time round I am sh*tting myself I know what to expect and, for some reason, am worried I wont cope with the labour, even though I have had 2 perfectly straight forward births before. The consequences of this is that I am making myself miserable and am snappy with everyone around me, I dont mean to be, its just because I'm anxious.
The not knowing when it is going to all kick off adds to the equation aswell, with 2 other DS's to consider also and childcare for them.

I have also started to panic about how I will get everyone ready and out of the house in the mornings, its bad enough now

Sorry for the long rant hun, but you are definately not alone

I'm totally with you on the feeling out of it all... this is my second, my first was 17 years ago and there have been so many changes since I had my daughter!
Like Fluxuspoem, I've been doing ALOT of reading on pregnancy and labour and watching lots of videos of waterbirths etc. When I had my daughter, I was 18 and didnt get a choice in how I gave birth.. I was flat on my back hooked up to monitors etc and they wouldnt let me get out of bed for anything. I even had to pee in a bed pan! This time round I know better. I know what I want and how I want it, and my OH has been so supportive it's untrue (my daughter's dad was a waste of space and spent most of the labour in a corner reading the horse racing pages in a newspaper)
I'm actually really excited about having this baby even if she was a complete surprise to us!

YEah i thought I was quite prepared for baby but kinda occurred to me today that sometime in the next week or two my life is going to change for ever...which is great but a bit scary.

this is my second with a 11 year age gap, I'm terrified too, OH who is normally the stressed one is surprisingly calm, and trying to be good at putting up with me randomly bursting into tears. sat there watching casualty last night when I started sobbing just thinking that the same time next week I would be in hospital having had my little man that morning.
personally I'm just trying to hold it together for the next week, staying busy decorating while praying that the second he arrives things somehow fall into place.

I've been reading, reading, reading and doing more reading on everything I can devour about the birth process. I've also been watching youtube videos- I figure that knowledge really is power and I want to be as prepared as I can be. I think I'll be less nervous and anxious the more I know.

Actually, I'm quite excited now!

I guess you're all right...

We can't control the unpredictable, we can only try to prepare ourselves for all possiblities and just kinda go with the flow... There's no way of controlling the unpredicatable...

I guess it's just deal with it when it comes and soon enough we'll be at the other side wondering where the doubts, concerns and worries came from... I didn't feel so out of it at 19/20 years old as I do now at 30... I guess I was so use to just going with the flow back then, where as now I have so much control and routine that I'd like the arrival to fit somewhere into that scheme of thinks...

Independence and pig headedness has so much to answer for LOL... I've read books on birthing and watched plenty of birthing programmes, bringing baby home etc But keep ending up in tears...