Labour at 35 weeks?

[SayCoolNowSayWhip]

Just asking for people's experiences of labour at 35/36 weeks. I'm 35+5 and having previously been admitted for preterm labour at 32 weeks, am now feeling like it isn't going to be much longer!
So what were your experiences of labour and if it was your second child, how much did it differ from your first labour?

[SayCoolNowSayWhip]

Anyone?

[TiddlyOmPomPom]

Hello :)

My waters broke at 35+5 with no contractions, admitted to hospital for monitoring due to possible infection risk. Two looooong days and sleepless (noisy hospital) nights later my contractions finally started, DS arrived at bang on 36wks.

Labour was largely back to back, turned before delivery tho thank goodness!
I was monitored throughout but allowed to stand, and I actually ended up standing for the entire labour - only lying down when I absolutely had to for examinations. Delivered standing as well.

The main thing I remember is that, apart from the horrendous back pain, whenever I said I thought I was at a particular stage the MWs said I wasn't, they would then check, and lo and behold I was. 'Best' one was when I said I thought I was ready to push, MW said that no I wasn't and had hours to go yet - I insisted she check, and yes I was fully dilated and ready to go. My sister reckons this was due to my Hypnobirthing practise, but I barely did any so I dunno!

I had booked a home birth so wasn't expecting to be in hospital at all, hadn't got around to the hospital tour yet either as had only just started ML!
I had a lovely MW who stayed with me from 4cm to delivery (6am-midday), and the hospital were pretty good.

DS was 5lb5oz, v jaundiced, had 100% tongue tie so wouldn't feed, and we were in for another 4 days until they were happy enough with his blood sugars to let us go home. He had heel prick tests every 3 hours the whole time, poor thing was a pincushion, and had trouble keeping his cannula in too. :(
Being small his feeding problems meant he lost a good 10% of his birthweight, and we were slightly hounded by the community MWs. Ugh. Used to weigh him in a colander between MW/HV apts.

In hindsight my labour prob started early due to the 3 hour amble walk I went on a couple of days before... I had my first 'Braxton Hicks' the next day but they were probably real contractions after all...

[SayCoolNowSayWhip]

Thanks Tiddly, that's really helpful

How is your DS now?

[TiddlyOmPomPom]

He's fine and dandy now thank you!

He was what they politely refer to as a 'high need'/Velcro baby, reflux, colic, secondary tongue ties, would only sleep upright on my shoulder, frowny, and generally known as an unhappy baby. Cosleeping and (eventually) BF made life easier.
The first year was no fun for either of us, I didn't realise I had PND which is just now dealt with.

He's 21mo now, and still smaller than most of his NCT buddies, but perfectly formed. DH and I were both twig kids so he was never going to be huge, but he'll catch up eventually.
He tended to hit his milestones a month or so after the other babies, and wasn't ready to wean until 7mo. He's still having one BF in the morning so I can stay in bed a bit longer and isn't a big eater anyway.
He teethed from 2mo but didn't actually pop a tooth thru til 10mo. Still only has 7 teeth, and is currently chewing the furniture while we await #8.

Must hit post now and attend to him!