Due in Nov 05 - Hooray for the third trimester - part VII

[Enthusia]

Right then here goes.

Enthusia - I'm no expert, just my experience.......

Pethidine - I had two lots of Pethidine with my DS - It just sends you to sleep. I was knackered and I loved it, it allowed me to get some rest during a very long, painful, labour, although it did not last long (about an hour). But, lots of women don't want to feel sleepy during labour, but I would have it again in a heart-beat.

Epidural - 'not painful on insertion' - hmmmmm, not my experience, it was horrible, but lots of women have no problem at all with epidurals and swear by them.

Not painful (i.e. not screaming out in pain), but very unpleasant with lots of discomfort, especially when (a) they could not site it properly and kept jiggling tube in spine about and (b) when it only numbed one side of me. But, as I say, this is just my experience - lots of women have no problem at all with epidurals and love them.

Good morning,

Enthusia, class sounds good, very informative and am glad you shared the information as I don't think i'll be attending any, seem to be learning an awful lot from MN and various texts (well pretending to anyway).
Most of my friends work until early evening and I have to admit missing the company. Only friends that I have around during the day are SAHMs and they have very busy children schedules and routines that do not quite fit into mine - just a matter of time now though really until all that changes. Anyway...

Will be going for the blood tests this afternoon that i've put off for the last few days Life doesn't get any better!

A bored Chacha (30wks)

busyalex'smummy...that's exactly the cot that i want. how much do you want for it? £25? he he

Morning all,

Enthusia - Interesting to hear about your Ante-Natal classes. I often wonder the same as you about how many common souls you meet on the internet, yet how few in real life!
As for Pethidine, I had some with my 1st baby, I was about 4cm dilated but the midwives could see I was tired and the night shift was starting so they thought it best if I got some sleep (for them as much as me I think!). They injected it into my thigh muscle which very slightly stung but nothing to speak of and it worked pretty much straight away even though they said it might take @ 20 mins.
MY PROS: Can be administered quickly and easily by normal midwife - Fast acting drug - Alters your perception of pain so you experience it but are distanced from it - Can enable you to sleep during early stages of labour.
MY CONS: Can slow your labour down - If you fall asleep in early labour, you can miss out on gradual build up of contractions - Can make you feel groggy/detached - Crosses placenta to baby so can make baby groggy/sleepy too.
No experience of epidural
My favourite is gas & air as it enables you to grab hold of something and helps you to focus on your breathing/contractions.(But hold on tight because partners can try to steal it and have a go/make jokes!)
HTH, and that everyone had a good night.
Hello to ScottishMummy!

Am i the only one who feels she is going to pass out at all this labour info?

ChaCha am so sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you, was trying to be v.brief and helpful. Am mortified. I think labour and birth are wonderful and midwives are there just to help you and baby and for no other reason. Please do forgive me.

Good morning ladies! Just catching up with the posts since I was last on. I PMSL (how appropriate) when I read about smelling my knickers. I actually remember at the accident smelling my fingers after clutching my bottom to see if it was wee but I was generally too freaked about nearly dying that I couldn't tell.

JemJam - I've also hit the 12stone mark which is also a weight gain of 2.5stone. After enjoying many months of gorging myself on all that Cadbury's offer (& some percies too!) I found out yesterday that I'm now a gestational diabetic!!! Bugger. My chickens have come home to roost. Actually, chicken is all I'll be eating from now on, by the sounds of it!! I've been told that my large daily intake of fresh OJ could be to blame. Someone should put a bloody health warning on that stuff. Anyway, off to see the diabetic nurse & dietition this afternoon who, no doubt, will tell me to stop eating sweets, boo hoo.

Also getting a hire car today as mine was a total write off in the accident. First time back in a car since Sunday, yikes!! I shall be driving like a pensioner, wearing a flat cap, on a Sunday in a Austin Allegro.

BTW now ravenously hungry after reading about palmiers recipe....may have to be selective about which messages I read in case they make me run for the cake section at Tesco's.

karmamother sorry to hear about your GDB that must be v.upsetting for you, my apologies for the bad timing of my palmiers recipe.... Good luck with your driving, I think it's great you're getting straight back to it, they say it's the best thing to do don't they?
Oh, and I'm so relieved I'm not the only one tipping the weighing scales, am just about to hit 12 stone, which will be a first, a 2.5 stone gain for me as well!

Oh Londoner LOL, didn't mean that YOU were giving TMI. I faint at the sight of a needle you see, I'm just soooo squeamish! Even reading the hospital bag thread yesterday made me go a bit funny. I'm glad of all the info and thank you.
Also forgot to mention that your baking sounds great. Your kids must have been in their element.

Agree with Londoner - gas and air is great, but you really, really have to focus and concentrate on your breathing for it to have any useful effect.

Good idea to practice before-hand to make sure you have the hang of it so you can just switch-on to auto-pilot when in labour and not have to worry - am I doing this right, am I breathing too fast/slow/shallow/deep - and so on

Gas and air also gives you a really good feeling of acheivment too - you are in control, successfully dealing with the pain.

Karma - I think I will be joining you with the GD - just got a letter from the hospital telling me bllod test came back high and to eat more sweets/chocs/cake/bread/spuds for the next 3 days before another glucose test - yum! Not very often you get medical advice telling you to be a greedy cow................

Londoner, had it not been for the GD I'd have been rather happy about my weight gain. Last time I had horrendous IBS which caused me to expell all food within 6 hrs. I lost a lot of weight whilst pg (only 11lbs heavier at end!) but when DS was born at 38wks he looked very wizzened (like post-term) & my placenta resembled a smoker's placenta (I don't smoke) which was on its last legs. (do placentas have legs?) I was also very stubborn about bf despite advice from HV at 6 wks to give formula to help me put weight on. DS thrived & I went to a size 10...good news all round if you ask me!!

This time, with gaining lots of weight, no IBS, feeling very healthy & well-nourished, I was looking forward to a better outcome at delivery but this GD has put a cloud over it. Rather not be induced early or have an elective CS & I'd be devastated if baby had to go to SCBU for blood glucose monitoring. I've heard they like to give formula in the first 24 hrs if her blood sugars are low. Not very happy about that but if they have to then I'll ask them to cup feed. No teat for my DD! I'd appreciate amy advice on this if any MNers have been there.

Chacha, I don't think you have to worry about TMI, I think you're right in that you'll pick up most of the info you need from MN or books. You can't tell whats going to happen until you're in labour anyway and then you'll have midwifes helping you along the way. The people in my classes just seem to be getting into more of a panic with each class, rather than being reassured!

Enthusia, the Portland refuse to give Pethidine now so it's not an option for me. For them the cons outweigh the pros. However, they did say that 99% of women that give birth there have an epidural.

Karma, I couldn't bear the thought of going through the next 7 wks unable to eat sweets and chocolate . Boo to gestational diabetes .

Dinner was ok last night, sorted things out with my friend, although she still finds the fact i'm having a baby a bit difficult.

Had a fantasy about having a c/section last night as I'm getting sooo fed up with my feet and hands, and had to yelp in the night when I tried to turn over and jarred my pelvis.

Jenjam-on your bike

epidural-horrendous, very painful when inserting needle, uncomfortable when they are wriggling it around to get it in the right place, mine failed after 1 hr, he couldnt re-site as ward too busy and he was doing other epidurals, from asking to getting it=2hrs, some people swear by them, others get ongoing back problems from them...i wont be going for that again, id rather try pethidine than that again and i dont like the idea of pethidine

got a phone call at 8.15am about the washing machine in the trade it-WTF!!!? couldnt they have waited till after at least 9am, i wouldnt ring people before 9am! i was still asleep, anyhow, they were pleased with it, bought it in cash and so thats anougher thing not to worry about!

Goldenoldie - I did that too! Night before my glucose tolerance test my friend came round with cream cakes - boy they were good!! Its all a distant memory now

Having said that, as hard as diets are, I feel I'd do anything to avoid my little bubba getting fat, having shoulder dystocia, needing more heel pricks than necessary etc.

ChaCha phew! glad to know you're okay and sorry to hear about your phobia, I do understand & will be more careful from now on. I'm glad you like my baking recipe, yes the children do like them, especially the baby..... ha ha.
goldenoldie practicing breathing for the gas & air sounds like a good idea... maybe a brown paper bag would be a helpful tool in doing this like they suggest you use to regulate you breathing if you feel panicky? Also if anyone spots you doing it you can disguise yourself with the bag? (cool! ).
karma can see why you're glad to be blooming this PG (despite GD), your previous experience sounds really traumatic, and am so glad to hear both you and your son have gone on to be healthy. It's great they have spotted the GD and will now manage it with you. No exp. of cup feeding new born I'm afraid but have heard it can be done.

BAM, with regard to back problems after epidurals, all the anaesthetists I work with refute any link between the two. We give lots of surgical patients epidurals where I work & they don't report a higher incidence of back pain. The docs seem to think that new mothers are more likely to have bad backs from lifting more than before. I should add that the female anaesthetists give the same info as the male ones, so its not a case of insenstive male arrogance!

I'm afraid epidurals can be a bit hit/miss. It obviously depends on the skill of the doc & how much experience they have. If its any consolation, anaesthetic registrars don't work in obstetrics until they've had a few years training.

Has anyone any experience of diamorphine as an alternative to pethidine. I had both in my last labour & the diamorphine was way better despite my contractions being fiercer (waters broken). I don't think all units give it routinely but it might be worth asking about it to see what the staff think. It does have the same risks as pethidine...nausea, vomiting, sleepy baby with possible respiratory depression (which is easily corrected BTW)

Nova - St Mary's, Paddington, don't offer Pethedine anymore either - but they do offer a safer equivalent (can't remember what it is called).........don't he Portland offer an equivalent too?

Karma - does this mean I can blame getting fat on GD? Will it mean all the weight will fade away after delivery?

No worries about large babies/shoulder problems for me - boys are coming out via CS, so no chance of them getting stuck in the birth canal.

I'm sure you can put your foot down, refuse formula and feed by cup with breast-milk, but what if your milk takes a few days to come in. If baby has low blood sugar can they just give water till your milk comes in?

Thanks Karma - diamorphine - that is the (safer?) equivalent on offer now instead of Pethedine.

Although, diamorphine was Shipman's tool of choice...........

I think they have to bring up the blood sugar with milk so I think I'd like to bf first so she gets the colostrum then they can top her up. Obviously once my milk is in we won't need to give formula. I'm hoping that if I can keep MY blood sugars within normal limits then she won't have a prob after delivery. What I have to do is test my blood sugar 2 hrs after breakfast, lunch, dinner EVERY day until delivery. It needs to be below 8mmols. If I have high sugars then baby will produce more insulin to deal with it. After delivery, baby keeps producing the same amount of insulin for 24 hrs until it regulates itself. Thats why its important that she gets milk to stop her going hypoglycaemic in that time (low sugars). I'm assuming that if I keep my levels normal she won't have produced more insulin & won't go hypo at birth. I'm hoping to find out this afternoon when I see the diabetic nurse. Will let you know what she says.

Goldenoldie....don't tell anyone but diamorphine's other name is heroin!! Obviously it won't produce any addiction in the few doses you get in labour. Don't want anyone panicking about that!!

I don't know if its safer but I remember my obstetrician saying it may make babies sleepier than pethidine. But when I trained as a mw many years ago, one of the consultants swore by it & prescribed it for all his ladies. All I know is its a bloody good analgesic. I remember going from agony to rested, calm & painfree within 15 mins. I think I had it about 7pm & delivered at 11pm so DS wasn't sleepy & neither was I. I'm sure a lot of Mums will tell you how the adrenaline keeps you buzzing for a while after the birth anyway.

Karma - how long did it take for you to get the results of your 3hr fasting test?

It took the hospital over two weeks to get the result of the 1hr lucozade test to me..............

Ooooooooo, smackhead mums, gear on the NHS, chasing the dragon on the labour ward!

Can imagine the po-faced head midwife sans dark-glasses, in cahoots with Columbian drug lords to import some horse for her ladies!

OM Goodness, have you seen they have a new washable nappy out? 2 sorts in fact. By Tots Bots. Look here:

ShowProduct.asp?pg=1&cartID=&productCat=CAT117

for Fluffles and Bamboozles, I have to confess I just bought 2 Fluffles from an Ebay shop online, goody! Looks like they're selling out fast!

Nova - My samsonite just arrived. Opened it and thought could have saved myself some money and used my laptop case, however, on further inspection (as you said before) there seems to be enough room (well at least for my things) and I'm quite happy with it

I'd appreciate a 'labour guide for idiots' from the ladies who are discussing pain relief etc. I am so lost.

Rodeo & Beks - Always used to be first to post of a morning...what is happening to you guys?