DEC 2010 the final countdown ~ merry christmas ladies, hello babies ~

[OnlyWantsOne]

Hi :)

40 + 2 here

Hoooraaayy!!! more babies!! Welcome Tom, Kira and Eliza - pop on over to the post natal thread - its there somewhere although may not have been used much the last couple of days. .

DF - Just one quick thing, when I had DS1 my mum smoked and I HATED her going anywhere near him after she'd had a cigarette. In the end I just said something along the lines of "I know I'm being a bit sensitive but I'd rather you dont smoke before holding the baby". I think it helped for me to declare that I may be being a bit over-cautious as it stopped her moaning about me! After all, she was a mum too and I was her precious baby and I'm sure she would have been the same. It is a tricky one though...

By the way, loving birth story miffster and great encouraging words for the ladies still with bumps - right sleep for me... Been a busy day. Jude is just perfect but the other two DS's have me running around all day. I even managed to feed Jude this morning while making DS1's packed lunch .

Congratulations Crazycat , gorgeous name!
Congratulations slightly, you must be so relieved to have your baby at last, another gorgeous name too!
And congratulations Miffster, hi to little Tom, sounds like you had a pretty good birth.
For those worried about induction, mine wasn't too bad - I was induced as my waters had been leaking slightly for several days but my contractions were stopping and starting and not getting me dilated. They gave me pethedine to help me sleep and get some rest before I was induced, then I was induced by drip, they did then get me to lie down and had to monitor me, and I did have an epidural (tried gas and air but it made me sick)but it was fine, I could still feel when to push and felt dd born, just in less pain, I had to have an episiotomy but only because dd had her hand on her head! I'd rather avoid an induction this time, but won't worry if I do need one.
I think my body is gearing up for labour now, BH are getting stronger and more frequent, have been feeling crampy and achey all day, and also feel uncomfortable v low down in my pelvis - I'm sure my bump has dropped, which prob means ds is well engaged now as he was 3/5th a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping this means he'll turn up this week, but knowing my last labour I'll go on like this for several days yet!

Hey all

Congratulations miffster and thanks for the key learnings and poo!

I'm just at the hospital,they had a hard time getting a decent reading off the monitor as baby decided it would be good to fo the macarena about then but they got a long enough reading eventually and they gave me one of those tablet thingies!

Just sent mam home to get some sleep as mw predicts that we won't have anything exciting happening until about 1 or 2 in the morning but I'm definitely getting pains it's all so exciting!!

Congratulations miffster and welcome to baby Tom! Glad you got your HB and looking forward to the birth story in full once you have had a well deserved rest. Brilliant tips too :o

lauren ooh good luck, I hope it goes well for you. Sending you lots of positive labour vibes.

littleB I think I am gearing up too. This bit is so frustrating! Hope things go fast for you.

DF MIL smokes and DH had a word with her asking her not to smoke before she picked up the baby. I had a hard enough time letting other people hold DD anyway without thinking they were going to breathe smoke all over her.

Still having a lot of back pain, but I think it is the baby trying to get into position. Hoping things kick off again soon, but realistically I am not even 40 weeks yet, so it could be a long haul.

Yay for you Miffster welcome to little Tom!

Good Luck Lauren look forward to hearing about a nice lovely straightforward birth for you :)

Still contracting without consequence over here, but just getting a bit blase about it now... if a baby arrives anytime soon think will just take me by suprise!

Am definitly cheered by the births and birth stories though, they are lovely.. keep them coming people who have popped!

Congratulations on the new babies Miffster, Crazykat & Slightlytired.

Good luck Lauren hopefully you've already joined the new mummies or are very soon about to do so.

I went for a walk along the beach yesterday, thought the unevenness of the stones may shake things up a little. Baby definitely dropped back down and had the really great effect of calming me down a lot. Nothing like a brisk, winters walk along the beach for blowing the cobwebs out and reassessing things. Plan on doing another one this morning if nothing happens between now and then.

Chloe the mat centre is lovely isn't it. So calm and quiet, a different world altogether from the hospital or B5. If I could go there to be induced it wouldn't bother me in hte slightest.

Thank you for the induction stories, you're right 93pjb you only do hear the horror stories of induction.

Do they really read your birth plan at the hospital? They certainly didn't even look at mine with ds1 until after he was born, admittedly there wasn't anything on there really as I didn't have a clue, but because that wasn't used I didn't bother doing one 2nd time around. So far haven't done one this time, although if it does look like I need to be induced I will do and make damn sure they have a good read and understand it before I allow them to do anything to me. I just don't trust the hospital mw's to care for me in a non medical way iykwim.

I hope they do read the birth plan, mine is really simple but does say they mustn't offer me Pethidine.

All these stories about midwives are a bit scary. I had a really nice one come to visit me at home (She was very pro home-birth) and she said she was on shifts around Christmas so I really hope I get her. Where I am I can't have an epidural in teh Midwife unit, I would have to be transfered onto Consultant led care. The midwife at the surgery has never bothered to go through the birth bit of my green notes with me.

Had some very active movements from the baby last-night and what I guess feel like period pains. Woke at one thinking my waters had broken but actually think it was sweat

feeling a little miffed. Called the CMW this morning as they only do appointment booking if you call between 9-10 and yesterday slept through til 10.30 and missed the time to call them, left an answerphone message to let me know of an appt and they didn't call back. They told me off first of all for going to 40+2 without having the next appt arranged, explained that the CMW I last saw said to leave it until after the specialist on Friday. They won't book me in with anyone else but the CMW I saw when i first booked in, which is odd as they've always just booked me in with whomever. Well I can't get an appointment to see this CMW till next Friday [christmas eve] to discuss booking an induction, which I thought a little odd as by then I'll be 41+5 and thought they'd want to see me sooner than that. She told me it's my fault for not calling sooner.

I just hope LO makes an arrival before then as I am just so annoyed now by the CMW and MW handling of me, I feel like I am in the middle of a battle. It would be easier to see the MW's at Bath but they keep referring me back to the CMW's who tell me to speak to Bath. Grrrrr. I did have a little sob down the phone to DH as he's also getting a bit miffed with it as well.

Congratulations Miffster and hope things are going well Lauren

Kellestar that sounds awful, you poor thing. You should really be being cared for better IMO.

Cheryl yes the birth centre is lovely. I was there last night actually for a check-up and so hope I don't have to be induced because I would really rather be there.

Midwife said it is now policy to offer induction at 40+12 which is what it sounds like happened with Lauren

Hopefully it won't come to that as I was having tightenings all through the night. Not painful, but enough to stir me from sleep. I had one during my check-up and got the midwife to feel the bump - she confirmed it was a contraction, but confirmed what I kind of knew - that it can go on for days and weeks without labour becoming established. I'm only 38+5 so shouldn't really be getting impatient, but all these announcements make me want my baby NOW!

I also feel like I'm getting bigger by the day and more uncomfortable and would really like to not be pregnant any more and be home and settled in time for Christmas (which is next week in case any of you had forgotten!)

Going to go for a walk soon to try and get things going again.

Brilliant news Miffster crazycat and slightly, congratulations on the birth of your lovely babies

I'm very jealous of you miffster having your baby early! As far as I can see you seem to do quite a bit of walking so maybe I should drag my arse of the couch and go for a wander :) CAT your walk sounds lovely, if only I lived near the sea..

Sorry your being badly treated kellestar I hope you go into labour soon so you can bypass all the stupid appointment system.

I had a midwife appt this morning (40+2) I always see the same CMW and she has never discussed my birth plan with me (despite me asking) and has neglected to tell me various useful things I have found out elsewhere. However, when I visited the hospital the MWs there were really good, far more informative and seemingly progressive saying they encouraged an active labour etc. so I'm more than happy to have hospital MWs looking after me :)

I have a sweep booked for Sunday when I'll be 41 weeks and she said I would probably be induced on Christmas Eve if it gets that far :(

Df I recently forced encouraged my DH to give up smoking, we had a deal that he would give up on Dec 1st and he has done and its brilliant it has even stopped his snoring which is a Christmas miracle but... as a consequence of this and my militant attitude DH now says I have to personally tell people (like my brother, SIL, friends etc.) who smoke that they cannot touch the baby it is tricky isn't it, I'm not sure the washing hands would work I'd be more concerned about the smoke in their clothes and hair, seems like I'll have to make visitors strip down!

So... opinion poll alert - as I say I'm 40+2 today and me and DH are due to go to a wedding on Friday (really close friends - I was originally going to be a bridesmaid). It is about an hours drive from our house. Would you go if it was you? Would an hours journey be bearable if I' in early labour?

Oh yes, another thing. Has anyone else not written a birth plan? I haven't because I kind of thought there were so many variables I would just have to react to what happened on the day.

My preferences are to be in the pool at the MLU, to use G&A and if necessary pethidine, but that is about it. DH knows this and I am confident he will be a good birth partner and communicate my wishes.

Should I write this down?

I've made a note of preferences but have said that I am open for discussion, or DH if I am out of it. He's fully briefed and aware of my preferences and has been really supportive of them. This is clipped into my notes at the front and it's on yellow paper, just in case :) They've not discussed my birth plan or preferences with me, it's only through Mumsnet and magazines that I've pieced together what I have.

kellestar, that sounds like a bit of a pain, hope your friday appt goes well. I have a friend whos managed to persuade them to induce her this saturday (if it doesn't happen before then) when she'll be 40+7, shes persuaded them to do this as she wants to make sure shes home for Christmas as she has a 5yr old dd, she had a planned c-section with dd (breech) so not sure if this makes a difference.
Hope lauren has had her little baby now.
I've been having regular contractions since 2.30 this morning, roughly every 6-8mins, not big strong ones yet but enough for me to take a couple of paracetamol and still feel painful and not get any sleep, have just managed an hours doze now though. I have dropped dd's overnight bag off with MIL who will pick her up from school and have her for the night, much easier to have her settled somewhere than try and sort something out in the middle of the night, especially as dh doesn't have a driving licence yet - has been motorbikes only for 20+yrs, but has his 2nd test booked tomorrow - fingers v tightly crossed.
I could really do with this baby coming along now rather than the days of this I had with dd, they induced me with her after 4 days of irregular contractions, and being sent home twice, but only because my waters had gone, but its not practical for me to keep popping in and out of hospital with dd to look after. If I haven't had him by tomorrow I've got a mw appt and will try and persuade her to give me a sweep to get things moving but as I'll only be 38+3 I'm not sure if she will? Have to go and eat some more pineapple!
Very envious of those with access to MLU, I'd have liked that option, but don't have any near me in Somerset, our hospital doesn't even have a birthing pool, floor isn't strong enough apparently. Still it was good enough for dd, her cousins, and her dad, aunt and uncle, so will be fine for her little bro!

KittyBump I would wait and see about the Wedding. I have a 60th birhtday tonight (Am 40 +3) and am going unless something dramatic happens between now and then. You might feel fine now but I guess anything could happen before Friday.

I could get DH to mention the smoking thing but I am concious that I have moaned enough and might be sounding precious.

kellestar I can't bellieve they told you off, it's just rude! I feel a little abandoned as my next appointment isnt until 20th when I will be 41 +2 and they will offer me a sweep, it's not with my usual midwife but with someone I have never met before who will come to the house. I suppose I might have given birth by then anyway.

Chloe I don't think there's any harm in writing it down, mine is very simple and full of phrases like 'I would prefer....but I am willing to discuss this with...' type phrases ... e.g I would rather tear than be cut but I do understand that it's sometimes better to be cut so am prepared to discuss this at the time. I didn't want to sound too prescriptive and arsey. I have only been firm about one thing and that is 'do not offer me Pethidine'.

I also put some stuff in about breastfeeding, skin to skin, cord clamping and wanting DH to have skin to skin if I have a C-Section. I'll wave it in front of the midwives faces and hope that DH will wave his copy around too.

Good luck LittleB sounds like things could be on the move.

kitty I agree with DF - for all you know, baby could be here by Friday! I'd play it by ear if I were you.

chloe I remember my first birth plan being very vague and without a lot in it. IME you don't know how you would like to ahve a baby until you've actually had one! This time round, I've been much more prescriptive but that's partly because of my previous expereince and the fact that I'm hoping for a vbac this time round.

kellestar sorry your CMW's were so unhelpful - I don't knopw what it is about some mws that they feel they have the right to talk to pg women as if they are children

lauren hope things are progressing nicely - fingers crossed for you.

cat and Chloe I was in the main delivery suite of QA as I am under consultant and the 2 midwives were great, I am sure whatever I asked for I would have got eg to go and use pool etc they kept the main lights off and just used the moveable light when they had to break my waters and they only intervened then because his heart rate dropped. I wouldn't be concerned about having to go in there at all, much better care than I had at previous hosp where I had DD

I don't believe it, BT are here fixing the phone line.....

Contractions coming 1?5-2 mins long every 4-5 mins for about half hour

oooh good luck cheryl

No fucking midwives for home or mlu waiting for parents so I can go to fucking hospital. really upset and this has already lasted longer than ds2 :-(

Oh cheryl sorry things aren't going to plan. Had you planned a home birth? if so, the hospital should find someone to come out to you? Is it worth ringing the mlu again see if the situation has changed?

Hey just dropping in to say indie rose was born this morning at 5 35 weighing in at 7 11! Labour was nice and quick just 4 hours and although her heart rate had everyone worried and she had mercOnium in her water she's doing very well!we are being released from hospital tomorrow :)

No way Cheryl that sucks. Good luck and hope you can get something sorted.

congratulations lauren !

Brilliant news lauren and a beautiful name, glad she's all ok after worrying you like that :)

OH cheryl sorry things aren't going to plan, I hope the birth is as good for you as possible x