to not tell anyone when I'm in labour?

[lisloom]

When you went in to labour, who did you tell?

Part of me just doesn't want to tell anyone until after baby is born. My family are full on. I don't want a circus...

I went 2 weeks overdue and spent the entire 2 wks fielding texts/calls saying "any news??", "have you had the baby?", "any movement?".. so when I was brought in 12 days over and they booked me for an induction on day 14, which can take 3 or 4 days I text a big group message and said "booked in for an induction on Friday, I won't have news until Monday at the earliest".

I’m another one who wonders how you’ll explain not being reachable/doing your normal routine?

How ‘reachable’ are you normally? I don’t post on FB etc every day, or even every week, and if I get a text I don’t always reply immediately. Both my DC were born at the weekend, when normal routines perhaps don’t apply, but I can’t imagine anyone thinking it odd that they’d not heard from me in 24 hours, even at 39 weeks pg.

No one has ever told me they are in labour, thankfully. It was bad enough when my close friend went in for her planned CS. I couldn’t settle at all, and that was only about 2 hours!

I didn't tell anyone. I laboured from around 23:30. Ex-DH was asleep with my 19MO in our bed. I'd been pottering between the sofa and bathroom.

Then I just ran out of time. I honestly thought I had enough..

I stood up and delivered her myself in my bathroom. She had the cord around her neck but it was quite long. Then I put her only boob and sat on the bed.

Then two paramedics arrived who kind of stood there. They checked her and left. The midwife couldn't find my house so didn't arrive for another half hour..

Only complication was that I am RhNeg so that would have meant a trip to the hospital but turns out she is too.. I was elated for weeks but looking back it wasn't one of my greatest decisions if something had complicated the situation...

I think it’s nice to tell people as long as there are boundaries in place eg wait by phone, don’t turn up at hospital

Like NancyJoan, Im maybe not all that reachable anyway! Don’t really use social media and don’t always reply to messages straight away. Also, although my first labour was 48 hours long for the first 42 I was capable of replying to messages and being fairly vague in responses. Also my family and friends are pretty sensitive so if they’d guessed something was going on they didn’t mention it, either to me or anyone else.
It’s quite usual for me to not reply to a message for a few hours though as I don’t always have my phone next to me!

I didn't intend to tell anyone with first and thought that was normal, DH text everyone we knew and then they messaged us for the next 14 hours. He has form for over sharing and was irritated that he has told everyone.
Didn't tell anyone except my mum for second as she had to come and look after DD. Much better and more exciting to tell about the arrival after it has all happened.

Aah now. To avoid all the calls from my mother I told her DS was due earl Feb. He was actually due 24th Jan. He arrived on Xmas day which DH and I were planning quietly and alone. Mother got quite a surprise when she rang after mass to wish us merry Christmas.