The "July" babies are here!

[Kentishgal]

Here goes...

[Giraffe888]

My baby isn’t here just yet but checking in...

[cravingmilkshake]

Checking in- still no baby

[SenoraSurf]

Also checking in

[Jxtina86]

Checking in whilst Astrid takes a rare nap! First night at home was exhausting. My nipples are on fire but had the first midwife visit this morning and she was happy with both me and baby.

[Meg1389]

Hi
I haven’t written on here since the first trimester but I did complete the original google spreadsheet.
I was due 11/7/19 , with my first baby, so I’m currently 40w+2 days and no baby yet! Had a sweep yesterday and another booked for Monday, if they fail I’m booked in for an induction on Wednesday. Quite anxious about the induction process and labour and wondered if anyone else had gone through an induction?
Congratulations to all the new parents out there!
Megan x

[Kentishgal]

meg1389 - I had an induction with my first although I understand from the other ladies they now use a gel. Everyone experiences different though. Hopefully someone else will be able to offer some advice.

4 days post c section and my husband has had to take our 3yr old to a and e as we're concerned that it might be appendicitis - not got anyone else around to help out so now on my own with baby and feeling terrible I can't be with my daughter if she needs an op. Urghh.

[Jxtina86]

@Meg1389 I had an induction initially but my little one had other plans in the end! A gel was initially mentioned to me by the midwife but turned out that was dependent on other factors such as my cervix dilation/waters broken or not etc. I had the pessary and whilst it was not a comfortable experience going in, it was fine afterwards. They put it in and leave you for an hour. Then you're on the monitor for an hour to see how you go. My cervix was 1cm when they put the pessary in and the contractions came on fairly quickly. I have nothing to compare them too so no idea if they were strong as such but they were certainly coming at fairly regular intervals and I had to focus on breathing through them. A TENS machine helped massively too.

They took the pessary out around 6 hours later as Astrid wasn't having much fun with the contractions but I also had other risk factors as the fluid around her had reduced (The reason why I was induced). The contractions stopped after they took the pessary out so it was clearly having an effect!

Fingers crossed the sweeps help start labour for you sooner rather than later but please don't be anxious about an induction at all! After all, it'll be one step closer to meeting your baby!

[FairyDust92]

Hi,
Had my baby on 06/07/2019 was due on 17/07/2019 but got induced on the 03/07/2019.
I'm in complete awe of him. I'm definitely very over protective around him 😳
First time mum so still learning what is best for us both 😂

[FairyDust92]

@Meg1389 I also had an induction, read absolute horror stories about them.
I'd actually have an induction again, mine wasn't that bad.
I had a failed round of induction. I had 2 pessary inserted and then the gel. All these failed to make me cervix open so I had to wait 24hrs before I could start the process again. I then had another pessary and 6 hours later when they check you I was 1cm, 2nd pessary on 2nd round inserted and checked 6hrs later and I was 3cm dilated so they broke my waters. After my waters were broken I dilated from 3-10cm in about 1-2 hours can't remember but the contractions were there from the very first pessary but come quick and fast when my waters were broken. I found having the pessary inserted too uncomfortable so they offered me gas and air to have the pessary inserted, if you find it uncomfortable don't be afraid to ask for the gas and air. My boy was born 8 hours after waters broken :)

[Jxtina86]

Oh @Kentishgal I hope your daughter is okay! Hope your c section recovery is going well. I wasn't prepared for it at all so all completely unknown to me! I need to do a number 2 but I'm so nervous. Coughing and blowing my nose is already painful let alone a bowel movement!

[Kentishgal]

Thank you jxtina86 fingers crossed it will be a false alarm - just didn't feel something we could ignore and risk - my recovery from the planned section has been sooo much better than my emergency one. Honestly, at this stage after my emergency one I still hadn't got out of bed or had my drain / catheter removed - I feel better at 4 days post planned section than I did 3 weeks after my first! So if yours was emergency then it's likely to be a whole different ball game. I did a number 2 on Friday and it was fine - have they given you lactulose (or something similar)? That should help.

[Jxtina86]

No they didn't give me anything to help things along! However I just womaned up and went for it and it was actually okay. The thought was worse than the process and I feel so much better for it! I feel very lucky that my experience so far seems fairly straightforward! I can't imagine what it must have been like to still be cathered at this point.

[Kentishgal]

jxtina86 the thought of going is definitely worse than when you actually go! They should have given you something but thank goodness it sounds like it wasn't needed in the end. I was lucky that my hospital even sent me home with the liquid morphine, which I have just used at night. Fingers crossed for a swift recovery for you.

[Jxtina86]

@Kentishgal I've been given co-dydramol which has been pretty good so far. I've got enough to last me 5 days as can take 3 doses of 2 tablets in 24 hours. They asked me about bowel movements yesterday at midwife appt and I said that I hadn't as of yet and she was like no problem. I imagine if I hadn't gone by Tuesday they might have given me something. There was another woman discharged in the bed opposite me on Friday and she asked about it and they said if you want anything for it you have to request it, doesn't seem to be a standard thing to get in our trust!

[Giraffe888]

Nice to read little bits about how you c sec ladies are recovering. How long after birth were you both sent home?

@Kentishgal I hope your DD is ok x

[Kentishgal]

jxtina86 every trust seems different - I went out of area this time to a different trust so everything was different to the first time. giraffe888 I was discharged the next day - there weren't any complications. They said if I wanted I could stay another day and if it was my first I may have done that - it was all private rooms so was quite nice but I was on my own overnight as my husband was looking after my daughter so I wanted to get home. It's not long till yours now is it?

[StargazyDrifter]

Thanks for the thread Kentishgal and hope your daughter is ok. Must be so worrying. Try not to overdo it while you're alone, sounds like you're doing amazingly.

I'm 2 weeks and 2 days post ELCS (it was brought forward bc of complications but was still classed as an elective as I didn't opt for an induction). Finally womaned up and removed the steristrip (sp?) that was covering my scar. Consultant said leave it until it drops off but since it started to lift up at the sides I thought I might as well. That was all ok if a bit icky where (tmi) there was some hair caught. Scar looks neat and dry, but it hurts a bit more without the strip on so I've been using a maternity pad over it horizontally to cushion slightly. Worked quite well when we went out earlier.

Belly button update - it's back in! Phew! I've got my old innie back. But it has a browny yellow bullseye around it, which freaked me out a bit. MW says it's part of the linea nigra and that we just don't see that when the belly is stretched and that all of that will go eventually. Belly itself feeling very floppy and empty, as I think Kentishgal mentioned ages ago. What a strange feeling!

Today's postpartum delight was doing my own shoelaces again. Yippie!

[Jxtina86]

@Giraffe888 I had the section around 1am on Thursday morning and was discharged Friday late afternoon. I didn't have any complications at all, both myself and Astrid passed 24 hour obs with no issues and feeding was established by Friday morning. They did ask me if I was happy to be discharged several times before it happened so there was an opportunity to say otherwise if I felt I needed longer. Personally I just wanted to get home!

[blueeyedviking]

How is your DD @Kentishgal ?

Im 11 days into motherhood and the last few days have been rough. Feel sometimes that I suck at this and no idea how I can do this for months. Every time I think it's going well something happens which makes me feel like I have taken 2 steps back.

Is anyone else up and down with emotions? K sleeps really well when down but getting him to settle in the evening or night takes so much energy and time that I exhaust myself.

[qj17]

I found myself in floods of tears at 4am just thinking about how amazing my husband is with our daughter. Hormones are real!

[Jxtina86]

@blueeyedviking I feel you. I've had many moments of 'I'm failing, I can't do this'. My poor DH said that he felt so helpless as he felt the pressure was all on me and how unfair that was. Friday and Saturday night were unbelievably tough but then we suddenly realised that we were missing something (burping - doh!) And then I felt even more awful because surely I should know that and what kind of mother am I?! Turns out I'm a first time mum and just trying to figure it out and that's okay. Big hugs to you. You're doing your best and that's all you can do. X

[Giraffe888]

Thanks for the advice ladies, good to know you were home quickly after the c sec. mine is on Friday, not long at all now!!! X

[Kentishgal]

Thank you all - the hospital think it is just a gastrointestinal thing caused by a throat infection- felt a bit silly but it's a bit odd as no diarrhoea and just really fitted with appendicitis symptoms. Will keep an eye on her - unfortunately she's still being sick, so ironically my sleepless nights are predominantly caused by my 3 year old st the moment! And stopping her touching the baby is tricky! blueeyedviking I'm sorry it's been tough but having been reading your messages over the last few months you're clearly a very conscientious person and will make a fabulous mummy, it'll just be the hormones and usual female self doubt making you feel like that. I remember being totally shell shocked the first time round, I didn't have a clue what I was doing but you soon figure it out. I feel more relaxed this time round - and will hopefully be able to ignore those people with helpful advice telling me I'm doing it all wrong. I did well up with tears earlier though because I told my husband it was the last time we'd have a newborn and I wanted to appreciate these moments - he did say "well we could have a third if you really want". Erm no. I'll just make sure I take lots of photos!!

[Meg1389]

Thank you @kentishgirl @jxtina86 and @FairyDust92 For your responses. I’ve just been told an induction isn’t a nice way of getting into labour and contractions are more intense?

Had another sweep today but the midwife said she doesn’t think it will set me off into labour. So should be going in Wednesday to start the induction. Still pretty anxious about it all, how it’s going to feel etc, but I am so wanting to meet our baby now! Do they tend to keep you in hospital with the balloon catheter does anybody know or tend to send you home?

X

[Jxtina86]

@Meg1389 the contractions definitely came on quick- within the hour if I remember rightly. The intensity built up for me though. Like I said though, I have nothing to compare to! No idea about the balloon- imagine it will depend in your trust and your circumstances?!