The October 2011 Baby Bus... part 2

[KnitterNotTwitter]

A place for everyone due in October 2011 to hang out and support each other....

It's not taking on any more hours. It would be doing the 12.5 hours I'm contracted to do but over more days.
They brought a policy in a while ago that no shift should be longer than 10 hours. I've still being doing some 12.5 hour shift because my manager knows I don't like doing a sleep in every week, and as a driver it's more useful for me to work long days. But her manager keeps telling her I shouldn't be doing it.
So I end up doing a sleep ins every week which leaves me far more tired than a long day does. and I have less full days off at home to recover.
I even said if I wasn't allowed to do 12.5 hour shifts then I'd cut my hours down to 10 hours a week... but I was told I could still be expected to work 2 shifts.

6 more months, get the Mat leave, then look at what other options I have.

I didn't have NT with first. In a different place now and here it is standard. He just did it at the scan.

I didn't know I had torn, and it was a third degree that required me going to the surgery theatre to repair. The GnA gave me an asthma attack so didn't use it, but man was it brilliant in the beginning

I was also convinced I was doing a poo but MW assured me it was actually the baby. Considering I hadn't eaten for 2 days then there was nothing to come out anyway. What I didn't know was that the pushing but was alright, hard work physically but alright. That transition is the worse but it's ok because it tells you are nearly there.

I'm asking for a ELCS this time and I don't expect it to alter bonding, but I didn't have the instant wow that some people get. Bonding was more a slow burner.

DD was back to back as well, which I foolishly didn't expect. I looked at the positions part of the book and there was a page on which ones would be good for back to back and I just turned the page over So do read all the bits like CS etc.

Has anyone thought about where to give birth yet? I am hoping for my first home birth as it is my third and likely to be very quick. I was wondering what others were hoping to do?

I have to have consultant led care due to medical reasons, so i'll be in my nearest hospital with them.

I've opted for midwifery led this time, and hopefully a water birth.
I had consultant led last time due to first pregnancy, latex allergy and low lying placenta. I had complications too with DD's heart rate dropping so I think I'd have been sent over to consultant led anyway.

I'm not sure. There is a nice midwife led unit 10 miles in one direction, and a nice delivery unit 10 miles in the other direction!

Last time I was induced and needed an epidural - so this time I am a bit worried about not having the epidural option, even though I know if it not an induction I may well manage better.

I would really love a water birth. Ideally I would like to have a water birth in a delivery unit so I could have an eipdural if it came to it! Perhaps they have a pool at the delivery unit - must find out.

Can I ask can they do anything more at a MLU than at home?

I said at my booking-in appointment that I wanted a home birth (first pg here), and the midwife at King's was enthusiastic; I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the MW at my GP surgery will be as keen! About ten years ago I had pretty severe depression, which involved a couple of hospital trips, so I'd prefer to stay out of a hospital ward if at all possible...

Has anyone given any thought yet to ante-natal classes? I'm sold on the idea of hypnobirthing classes, but can't decide whether to splurge for the NCT ones or go with the NHS ones.

Nesbitt, I'm at King's as well! Don't think I'll go for a homebirth as I'm a scaredycat, but I am thinking about the birth centre - I'll have a chat with the midwife at some point when I get my head around the fact that I actually have to deliver this baby.

I'm also having the same dilemma re: ante-natal classes. I think we'll do both NHS and NCT, as NCT is 10 hours longer so hopefully a lot more detailed.

Hello all

How is everyone?

I didn't have the nuchal scan. I still wonder whether I should have but my

My first labour was LONG (well I say that it was three days but my waters broke without any contractions (could be due to the fact that I was ripping up the bathroom floor!) then contractions started a day later and I was finally induced by drip on day three at 8am and DS was born just after 4. I had an epidural as I had not slept for over two days and I couldn't cope with the rush of pain when the drip started, however the epidural didn't work (all three attempts at it) so that was a bit pointless and I regret having to be stuck on the bed with it because I would much rather be walking around that laying! And the pushing is AMAZING, like you are pushing against all the crappy MS, discomfort and tiredness of the last 9 months and then you get your baby! i tore internally quote badly but you don't care at the time, it's only afterwards when you have to walk and pee. Oh but the first number 2 after pregnancy is horrible!!

I have already been told that I have to have these two in a hospital and in theatre so not really looking forward to that but it will be fine.

We have to have more blood tests as they discovered and problem with my red blood cell count at the blood tests. DH is having a test tomorrow to make sure he isn't affected or a carrier of it and then I have some more tests to go after that. Hopefully it wont effect the babies x

Sorry finished that first sentence, my immediate feeling was I didn't want it so I have to stay true to that.

I thought the NHS classes were pointless so thinking about NCT classes this time.

Hello all, I had my scan today and I am 12+6 and have a new dd of 14th October. The scan was amazing - I had a normal scan and an internal scan and we could see the baby really clearly. The doctor said he was 70% sure it was a boy! We had the NT and bloods etc and got the result straight away which was fine.
I found the whole thing incredible and we have some good pictures of the baby waving and also looking like he's smoking a cigar
I told everyone at work straight away which was brilliant - such a relief!
Still getting my head round the fact that there is a real little baby inside. I need some quiet time tonight to think about it!
Hope everyone's well on the bus and enjoying the sunshine xxx

I have booked NCT ante-natal classes after a friend who lives locally slated the NHS classes she went to here and highly recommended NCT. I've also booked hyno-birthing classes... If there is anything I can do to make the birth a less scary thought I will!!

Yey happymummytobe, you have the same DD as me!

I did actually say to DP that one of the scan photos looks like the baby is exhaling smoke.. its leaning forward slightly with slightly open mouth, and there is a kind of foggy patch just in front of the mouth.. Made me chuckle.

I would just like to say that first no. 2 was absolutely fine (but I was lactulose (sp?) and fibre gel due to the third degree)

BB3 I had a 3 day labour with contractions, but honestly it was the tiredness that gets to you not the pain as they are not too terrible for the first while.

I'm a bit sad not to go to NCT classes as it was great having that group of mums at exactly the same stage as you. We all used to meet once a week (in a pub to start with) for reassurance. It was really helpful to find other people having the same thoughts and difficulties as you.

Penguin yes it was the tiredness that got me (and DH who was up all the time with me running baths and rubbing my back, cleaning up after the sickness and nosebleeds!) I was in no state to cope with the sudden 90mph contractions when they ramped up!

Indeed BB3 although to be fair those hour of intenseness are very much a blur. It's DH who remembers it all Anyway we're supposed to be reasssuring the newbies :)

Someone please tell me I am being neurotic!

First baby is due 12th October and normally I am not a hypochondriac at all and imagine when baby is here that I would be someone who said "oh you ate soil/the dog licked your face, never mind" kind of person.

However, I have now become ridiculous I'm sure. I have intermittent what I would describe as stitch-like-cramps in my hernia area (if I had a hernia), mostly at night but sometimes randomly in the daytime.

Also the stitch like pains hurt when I do a big cough and then I worry the baby will drop out or something. Then I worry that I should not be lifting weights at the gym or cycling, even though I do need to go to the gym otherwise I will be enormous, Midwife did say weightlifting was okay too.

I am constantly worrying about it not sticking around and booking appointments at work to see the Midwife for our next scan but then scared to hand the form in inside baby is not around then.

Seriously do I need to get a grip, or is this normal behaviour for a once sane person?

Totally normal. The pains are just your womb stretching and the ligaments that hold your stomach muscles in place starting to move apart your muscles...

As far as the gym goes as long as you don't do sit-ups/similar everything is fine... I was cycling the 5 miles to and from work everyday up to 12 weeks with DS...

CheshireDing it's normal... but you should stop worrying. I don't do the gym, and never have, but my job is pretty manual, sometimes dealing with physically challenging people. I have a bad back but will still spend all day in the garden knowing I'll not be able to move the following day.... except when I'm pregnant, then I'm wary about doing everything.
The front garden needs digging over but I'm scared to do it, and last pregnancy I remember after a slightly challenging day at work I ended up in tears scared that a client might hurt the baby (totally unfounded, but it felt a huge risk at the time). I'd never given two hoots about anyone hurting me, but I was petrified of anything hurting my bump.

Try to relax though, the aches and pains you'll get are normal. Your body is growing and stretching and it's bound to cause some niggles. We're almost all past the risky 12 week stage now though.
In the next few weeks you'll start feeling bump move, which is wonderfully reassuring... and brings with it a whole new set of pains (I had horribly bruised ribs for the last few weeks last time.)

I've spent this afternoon planting some seeds with DD, and sweeping up, then needed a sit down after. :)

BB3 My first birth started like your's, except I fell of a chair and ruptured my waters. Contractions started 2 days later and DD was born 7.5 hours later.
And I agree that first poo was more scary than the birth. :o

I cycled up to 36 weeks last time. The bus started to beat me from 6 months mind. In my defence there was a big hill.

I would look up other physical things for up to date advice as a lot of places just say you can't do stuff. When I was pg with DD1 I was still coming across stuff that said you couldn't run (was old stuff from the 90's mind). I read somewhere, but haven't looked it up further that pg people don't need to avoid lying down exercises in most cases,as you are only down for a few moments and it doesn't add that much extra stain.

heehee penguin in all fairness, it's not scary at all, you can't wait for labour at 9 months and the actual labour (even if it is three days) goes relatively quickly and while I am not a believer that you forget the pain when the baby arrives, it does make the pain worth it

Cheshire - totally normal, I currently have the same stitch like pain that comes and goes depending on my position and movement and also petrified that at 20 weeks there will be no babies there x Completely normal!!!

AFAIK the reason you can't lie on your back for exercise (past 4months) is because the baby is lying over your main artery or vein and will restrict blood flow to your legs/or stop it coming back to your heart from ur legs

Not posted on here for a while - it's been busy in here again!

On the topic of actual labour, I can hardly remember it - it's all a big blur right up until I was rushed in for am em CS so had spinal and I snapped back into "reality" but DS moved back into position at the last minute so it was an episiotomy(sp?) and forceps delivery thankfully. When OH was telling my best mate the "full birth story" a few days later I was sitting on the edge of my seat going "Really? Wow... I had no idea".

I totally agree with everyone who says that by the time you get to 40 weeks (or beyong if you are overdue!!!) you forget all about worrying about labour as you are just so desperate to get the baby out that you will try anything and everything to start your contractions! Impossible to believe at this early stage but it is sooooo true. If you check the pregnancy/childbirth threads they are usually full of "How can I start labour?" "Does Raspberry leaf tea/pineapple/sex/hot curry really get your labour started" etc etc.

I too skipped the whole labour part of my pregnancy book and avoided anything about births apart from the essential stuff. When I went into labour I took the hospital's advice and stayed at home as long as possible not knowing how painful the contractions should be before actually phoning or heading to the hospital. I didn't take into account that going into labour at lunchtime on a Friday would mean it would take over 1hr for OH to get home from work (after he said "I'll just finish up what I am doing and head home if you're sure...." ) and then we got stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital!!!! By the time we got there I was 10cm dilated. Since I was so far along by the time I got there, I had no idea what stage I was at and I never knew when I should be pushing or any of that stuff. I am hoping I will be more intuitive this time and am actually going to read up on the actual labour part this time so I might be able to tell what stage I might be at...

Sorry for the mega long post again.