The new rolling ILX parenting thread, since the other one was getting unwieldy

Good luck nath! Here's hoping nature takes its course before Wednesday...

But I was induced and it wasn't that bad (not that I have anything to compare it to!)

how long was it from first contraction to delivery for you archel?

http://www.appelstein.com/rake.jpg

raking leaves this weekend.

I THINK I got my first proper contractions about 1am, and Alice was born at 6.25am. So yeah, not long!

I only had the prostin to induce, didn't progress to needing my waters broken or the oxytocin drip. It's the drip which is meant to make labour more sudden and so more painful, I think? But mine felt sudden enough - I didn't have any gentle build-up contractions at all, just instant agonising ones.

yeah me too! for me the first contraction was at about 10:30am (actually the first few showed on the monitor but i didnt feel a thing - about an hour later it started to hurt) through 6:30pm when beats was born BUT i had one hold up that nath wont have and i took 3 hours to deliver her because i refused to push the right way out of fear id go number 2 on the delivery table. :(

inducements seem relatively quick

So you two had to do "everything?" I mean, I had (natural) contractions with Ophelia but the rest they needed to induce (so also breaking my water and *opening the hatchet* har har). The total amount of hours? Uh, 27 hrs? Something like that. I have read that inducing is more painful. So uh EPIDURAL PLEASE.

I have to be at the hospital at 7:30. They'll do a "lavement" (cleaning of... sorry to be so blunt... bowels). Urgh. The previous time they also give me one (a pill which I had to shove up where the sun doesn't shine hahaha) but I felt so awkward - as the toilet was an open one in the room - that I didn't do much. hahaha TMI anyone?

good luck nathalie! I was induced both times (two weeks late with ava, two weeks early with lulu, with oxytocin gel rather than a drip) so I don't know any other way but induction gets two thumbs up from me. if it's going to hurt like hell I'm all for being in the express lane.

however long it takes you're soon to have another gorgeous girl for your troubles, can't wait to see the pictures!

Sunny, I read a memoir of an L&D doctor who called that the "positive poop sign" and used it as an inducement to get teh mommas to push the RIGHT way! Hmmm. I wonder if the enema or similar is actually helpful in freeing people up to push, or if it's just ONE MORE INDIGNITY on poor body in labor.

I was in labour so bloody long without really eating anything that there was nothing to come out by the time it came to push. My friend had warned me that she hadn't pushed like the midwife told her too and ended up having a forceps delivery because she wasn't pushing properly, so I made sure that I did!

good luck Nath! Got everything crossed that it goes quickly and well and we'll be waiting for fluff of you're new little one!

Our baby is away at college and is sick, and I'm all sad because I can't take care of her.

God. Getting old and having your kid grow up is... hard. Better than the alternative, though.

Howie had first proper fever yesterday, v worrying (especially after I Googled 'meningitis symptoms', BAD idea) but much better this morning.

Sending good birthing vibes Nath's way, looking forward to meeting the new arrival!

It never ends, Meg. My baby is 19 and when she reported cold/flu-like symptoms yesterday my first panicked thought was "OMIGOD! They get meningitis at college and DIE!"

*headdesk*

awww...she'll be fine, I'm sure.

Hey, any more Halloween kid pics? Beeps was the only kid in daycare not dressed up today :( BAD MOM

happy halloween, everybody! here are some pics from lulu's halloween birthday bash on saturday, when bee and cat put aside their claws/stingers and felt the love.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/1810767746_a787980352.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/1809930679_5f67cdb917.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/1809938293_9808594073.jpg

tonight, on actual halloween, ava wouldn't put the bee gear back on and lulu's catsuit was in the wash for our trick-or-treat excursion to two nearby friends' houses. instead ava wore a ladybug hat and antennae (she told me at dinner she was a "ladybug monster, rrrr") and lulu went as a baby.

OMG! so gorgeous!

I'm going to nick a photo off Mike's flickr account... Aidan at Lulu's party

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/1810831894_304c30d4be.jpg?v=0

And when we were trying it on a few weeks earlier, good old Sainsburys, six of your english pounds:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/1577529317_f7640db44d.jpg?v=0

I've been away from the net, still no word of Nath?

HAHAHA! Look at the cheecks on Aiden. Also, they're both adorable as always but that pic of Lulu from behind with the little tail just kills me.

oops - cheeks.

Is this thread officially "wieldy" yet"?

We knocked the other thread on the head after just over a year and 1,585 posts; this one has been going 9 months and I think this will be the 1,416th post. I dunno, either NOW (before Nath's babe arrives) or in the new year, whaddya think?

I'm up for a new thread! I'm gonna let someone else start it, since I kind-of jumped the gun on the last one... A nice way to celebrate Nath's new kid.

How about "ILX Parenting Thread: 100x BETTER than a Clown Car"

How on earth did you get Chris to let Aidan dress up as a little Red Devil? I love looking at all your kids, it allows me to be a little vicariously maternal without actually wanting to go through it all myself.

As long as we're sure everyone has seen the wonder of Aidan in his Man Utd devil outfit and that Nath can find us in our new home.

How 'bout ILX Parenting 3: Back In (Potty) Training?

That's great.

Ah, got it. I like the finesse of closing it off at year's end myself, but Nathalie's impending birth would also be a good mark. (And both titles are great.)

I have great pix of E and A in their costumes, but they'll have to wait 'til I get home. I will say that both girls were still holding on to their embroidered trick or treat cloth bags this morning at breakfast.

(yeah, i said "embroidered" and "cloth." my wife couldn't resist.)

I was thinking about a new thread too since the first thread started around the tiome Ophelia was born.

Maybe: "ILX Rolling Parenting Thread: Poo, Parents and Power"
(the name of a study I remember reading in high school)

I cant see the fliker pics on the work comp :((((

I think we should wait on Nath. She'll be here soon enough I'm sure. It might be a nice way to round off the thread.

oh, the pond.

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4486/pondvt7.jpg

aww...aidan!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2339/1831890786_8492e4d1e8_o.jpg

Induction is both GREBT and URGH. But actually, no, it was FUN (thanks to epidural). :-) Delivery was again ten minutes (push push push and out she came) but the contractions were very heavy and quick in succession. Anyway blabbering on and I should be sleeping. heh. I'll talk more LATAH Thanks for sending good vibes, it worked!

OMG she's GORGEOUS!

I love the sleepy infants... congratulations again, Nath!

That sound you can hear is several dozen ILXors uncrossing their fingers and sighing with relief. Yay! When did she arrive, Nath? 31/10?

she's beautiful, Nath. good job!

yay pretty healthy baby! congrats, nath and fam!!

We couldn't get Megan to keep her hat on because crisps were more important:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/1834342594_bff3d211aa.jpg

L-R Wolfman - Witch - Anakin Skywalker
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/1834350104_119c29d222.jpg

Oh noes! Wardrobe disaster! You go to a party and another girl has chosen the same dress!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2418/1833524009_667d8b464c.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/onimo/

!!! wau!

it's like 8th grade prom all over again!

When shall we four meet again?

big congrats nathalie, woo!!! hope you're recovering well and catching up on a bit of sleep here and there.

I love megan's coven photo! in junior high school we did that kind of thing on purpose, except not with witchy costumes.

ava and mike are on the train to go see his mum right now, I miss her already! I'm not sure she realises that unlike the test run last weekend on the train, she's not coming home tonight. we haven't spent a night apart since I was in the hospital having lulu! lulu is of course loving life, chirping like a happy bird and playing with her toys unhindered and with a marked lack of crash-tackling.

When did she arrive, Nath? 31/10?

Yep. I arrived in the hospital around 7:30 am. At 1:10 I went into the delivery room and by 1:20 I had pushed her into this big cold crowded world. :-) My OBGYN was on his way but too late. The assistant said to the midwives, who wanted to wait till his arrival:"I can do this, y'know! PUSH!" Funny really, cause I already had to push on the bed and then in between contractions I was quickly put on the table. I was so out of it, I was apparently trying to get on the table even though the bed was like half a meter away. My husband was saying:"WAIT! Don't fall in between!!! Be careful!" I was srsly tripping a bit. :-)

ger those photos are brilliant

akshully this thread is all brilliant photos right?

congrats!

Congratulations Nath, she's absolutely gorgeous!

Someone else needs to get knocked up now, fast :(

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2199/1871421841_74038f1031.jpg

I have TWO kids, people, this is srsly positively freaking me out! :-)

Oh yes, let's do a debate on pacifiers. Tips, hints, opinions are MORE than welcome. Ophelia didn't like it, she sucked her thumb but a few months ago she discovered the pacifiers (thanks to the crèche). Now I really want Elisabeth to NOT discover her thumb. The midwives are vehemently against introducing pacifiers this early on as they can mix up the pacifier and breast. (Sucking a nipple is harder and different than sucking on a pacifier for example.) But she's already noticed she has a thumb so I really want to avoid that.