Summer, summer, summer PESH: Get in your birthing pools, it's going to be a hot one

[LadyGoneGaga]

BESH BAYBEES

dontrythisathome, girl born March 25.
Cheggers, twinz girlz, born April.
FannyPriceless, boy, born June 8.
CurlyCasper, girl, born June 24.
CUNextTuesday, boy, born June 29.
AlpinePony, boy, born 1 July.
Carrots, boy, born July.
IggyPiggy, girl, born July.
Cosmosis, boy, born Sept 5.
Backinthebox, boy, born Sept 7.
Skatergrrrl, girl, born Sept 10.
VAG, boy, born Oct 2.
Silversky, boy, born Nov 1.
SomethingSuitablyWitty, girl born Nov 2.
okiecokie, girl, born Nov 12.
Honeymoo, boy, born Nov 11.
ReginaMonologue, boy, born Nov 13.
Maswera, boy, born Dec 24.
PollyPoo, girl, born Jan 5.
MrsFC, boy, born Jan 7.
ChoChoSan, girl, born 6 Feb.
Ginhag, boy born 11 Feb.
Muser, girl, born 15 Feb.
CluckyKate, boy, born 18 Feb.
Perfect Dromedary, boy, born 23rd February.
Casserole, girl born 19th March
Medee, girl, born 26th March.
Scorpette, boy, born 21st May.
Rocketleaf, girl, born 23rd May.

UPDIFFED

Laurielou, the unmarried hussy with the "surprise" diff, due 31 May (ish).
TwinkleToes, supergluing her fanjo shut, due 20 June.
Orchid, hoping for a zen like child, due 1st July.
Ginfox, loving the new mega-boobs, due 12th July.
LadyGoneGaga, No, it's not fucking twins, due 24 July.
Ivegotmrbitey, appears to have eaten posh spice, due 27th July.
Macaroonmum, eating for 7, due Aug 6th.
Owlbooty, suddenly weeble-shaped, due 7th August.
Ocarina, there's a what in there?! due late August.
Mountie, too shy to shine, due Autumn.
Truffkin, growing a padawan, due 17th November.

Loz, do not despair. I found my sweep (they gave me one the night they discovered I had pre-eclampsia) one of the worst things about giving birth, seriously. Forceps, piece of piss. Evil witch nurse ramming her fingers where the sun don't shine, total meltdown.

I had the full works - induction, laid on bed strapped to monitors, 'cascade of intervention', stirrups delivery, etc., and it was fine, honestly And you better fucking put some pics of yourself and baybee up on FB when the time comes. 'Cos we think you're farkin' GORG, aw'wight? No, not think - KNOW!!!

V pleased with all this news of de-breeching baybees, btw :)

You poor love L-Lo you aren't that far from me, name your cake and I will bring it (and some evening primrose oil).

Hurrah for the equally G&T foxcub! Maybe the differs daring deeds (our stage name) will never make it to the stage but in my head we were fabulous

Don't be so defeatist Bitelicious. We can still take the show on the road, complete with amazingly cute baybees in spandex slings.

Lozza hopefully Little L will take the hint from today and get busy. And what the hell use is a midwife with short fingers anyway? Sunday is almost a whole week away, which is plenty of time for evening primrose, long walks, more curries, shagging, etc. Get to it my good woman!

My first sweep was really sore and I had the same worry, Lou, but the next two were less so, so don't panic that it is any reflection of your pain thresholds.

It's going to be mine that ends up breech isn't it

Lozza Sunday is a bloody long way away in baybee terms. I have every confidence that MiniLozza will be ready to rock by the end of the week. Now pliz open wide; funnel of curried evening primrose oil coming your way Mouth! I meant mouth!

Bleeeurgh, curried evening primrose is enough to make Loz vom the baybee out of her mouth...

The prize goes to Booty for managing to raise the first smile in a few hours - curried evening primrose oil! Lubberly.

Thanks everyone for support - especially Meds. I've had a rubbish sleep going round & round worrying about how I'm going to do childbirth if I can't even manage a rummage. So obviously I'm sorry you had the same experience, but its kind of comforting to know as well.

Oh, as you may guess, yesterday's rummage didn't dislodge anything & I'm still here .

Glad to hear the July cluster seems to be all systems ahead, & we have heads down & ready to go. July is a great month for a birthday. Especially 11th

I'm glad I don't have MS anymore, the thought of curried evening primrose evening oil is revolting - blueeerrugh! Hope you're feeling ok Loz?

Glad to hear we have more baybees heading south . Squidge is now engaged (argh!) and is making way for the exit (and which may explain, in part, my substandard baldder control). It's not directly OP anymore, but has only moved to the side, so could still go either way. I can't give up my evenings of sitting on the floor leaning over the birthing ball yet - pah. Also good news was the fact that the Spatone is working. My iron levels have raised significantly in two weeks which is fab The parting words from the midwife were that she thinks she may not see me in two weeks for my next appt. I told in no uncertain terms that I WILL be seeing her in two weeks as I have some things to do before squidge is allowed out.

Later this evening: 'Orchid12 is laying!'...

I think the term sweep is misleading. Or disappointing. I'm sure that if they sent an actual Victorian orphan up there with a huge circular broom it'd get things moving much more successfully.

Loz, just keep telling yourself you've only got @ 1 wk left that the medical profession will let you stay pg, so keep your eyes on the prize

marking place for later.

loz do not despair please. There is still time for you to lay, most important thing is do not stress (ha ha impossible advice I know!). Firstly, you have obviously started to dilate a bit ? I had 3 sweeps, hadn?t dilated a jot and still managed to lay 3 days after the last sweep ? so it could well be imminent.

Secondly, you don?t have to be induced if you don?t want to. Obviously it?s a completely personal decision, but so many people seem to think they have no choice on the matter when they do. Induction dates are fairly arbitrary and vary from hospital to hospital and pct to pct ? I changed hospitals right at the end, and they wanted to induce me earlier than my original hossie just because that was their policy. You also need to remember that in some countries ie Scandinavia etc you are not even term till 42 weeks. I?ll bore you with my story just to give you a bit of info.

When I was a week over I had a check up at my new hossie rather than at my mw at the gp surgery ? they booked me for an induction on +13, and I came away in tears. I was absolutely terrified of being induced, fairly irrationally probably, but so so scared. I spend a few days researching my options on here, reading the NICE guidelines and I also spoke to my GP friend, and all reassured me that it was actually a voluntary thing ? infact the mw and consultant at the hossie had contravened the NICE guidelines as they hadn?t mentioned the other options to me.

So I decided to book another sweep at the hossie for +11, in the hope that it might set things off and to discuss the other options. Sweep showed cervix slightly more favourable but still nothing doing. When I broached the refusal of induction (absolutely terrified of being ?told off?) the MW was brilliant, she agreed it would be a good idea as she said that induction with my cervix as it was may well not be much fun, and that it would help me to be relaxed etc which I obviously wouldn?t be. So we agreed on a plan of daily appointments from +13 for monitoring. I would have to ring every morning and agree a time to go in and spend an hour on the trace having hb and movements tracked. We went for appointment no 1 on +13, and also spoke to the consultant then, who said she was happy with this, but we did need to set an end date ? we agreed on the Wednesday which would have been +17 for induction.

I went into labour at 3am the next day ? dead on 42 weeks. I am convinced that my stress and fear for that last week kept my cervix as tight as a tight thing and if I had spoken up about not wanting induction at the start I may have gone in to labour earlier.

Of course you might be desperate for induction as you want baybee out NOW

Loz if there were ever a time for Zen it would be now. Heed Cosmo's words you don't HAVE to get the baby out right now. We would just like you to

Am pretty sure the boy is still head up here too Owlie. Do not fret. If anyone's going to go breech, it'll be me.

bitey and gin I am seriously contemplating buying a spandex sling now .

I would just like to say that I am NOT AT WORK :) I have made a long list of things to do before child arrives and yes, watching TV and lounging around is at the top

Yay for ML, Macca. Still 2 and half weeks to go for me but have 4 days hol to take in that time which may or may not be used for moving. Felt rubbish this morning so having a sickie. Which is not good really but nothing urgent on so better to have a rest.

Great story, Cos - they really don't publicise the wait and see option, do they?

SiL has still not layed either, Loz. Think you two share a due date. So you are not alone.

Enjoy roonie! And remember you are not lounging, you are building up your strength for labour. for me and a big for you!

Thanks cosi, I had no idea there was a wait and see option. Ina May sets a lot of store by reducing stress and pressure on mothers to result in a happy and dilating cervix. I never dreamed I would come to know so much about cervixes (cervices? plural of cervix anyway).

Are you feeling better now GG?

I am working at home as don't trust myself to be around people today. I am proper mental/ hormonal and will cry at the drop of a hat. Also really shouldn't have read that thread about the poor woman who caught her husband with another woman as am now convinced that the FDH is going to take up with someone else who isn't wearing xxl pyjamas, crying all the time , covered in spots and stretch marks and with noxious wind. Hell, Jabba the hut sounds appealing compared to me!

loz this will be over soon and you will be snuffling your new born and be unable to remember these last few days. Until then, muchos sympathy. I have spotted that blue radox has clary sage in it if you fancy a bubble bath?

Macca I whizzed through half my list of chores in my first week of ML. Unfortunately now in week 4 and not much more has happened (although I've added a couple more jobs). Got a HV visit tomorrow, so at least some incentive to sling hoover around the place. What do they do on home visits anyway?

LadyG any news on house?

Cosmo you're brilliant for taking the time to sit and type out your story, for the benefit of Loz and other ESHes. Definitely nominated for ESH of the month award.

Just had a bloody show! Hurrah! things are hopefully going to start moving soon. I'm 38 weeks but have been having very uncomfortable central pelvic pain for a week now (mild SPD??) and getting a bit desperate to get the baby out.

Triple PESH lay tonight Loz and Orchid???

YAaaaaay! twinkle! "uncomfortable central pelvic pain"? Errrr.... yer in labour yer div! Oooh a triple-lay would be awesome!

Go twinks! And don't fret loz, the end is in sight

Oooooh, exciting, Twink.

No news yet, Gin since we offered them two grand. Ungrateful fuckers. Was only yesterday though. Why does noone else have the same sense of urgency that I do?

Ohh good luck twinks!! Sounds like the next cluster lay is due.

Sorry the sweep didn't do the trick loz but there's still time as cos s story proves. I also swerved induction even tho waters had broken, and even though it didn't result in the HB I had hoped for And I still ended up having the drip once labour was established you always have a choice. Just ask lots of questions and find out your options before deciding x

Yay twinkle!!!!

You are right ladyg they don?t publicise the wait and see option, because induction is deemed more convenient for them (this is what my gp friend told me anyway).

Woohoo, more baybees! Good luck Twinks

Loz I also know several people who have avoided the induction route, depsite having been 'strongly advised' to go ahead with it. They cannot force you into anything, they can only recommend, so fear not, the choice is always yours

Sorry to disappoint, but I am not up for a triple lay!!!!!! I haven't even started ML leave yet, and have got very important things to do, like having a pamper session at the hairdressers next week. I am very happy to cheerlead Twinks and Loz though. Give me a B, give me an A, give me a B, give me a Y and what do you have, BAYBEEEE

Twinks How exciting! Hope you're feeling OK. Will be keeping my eye on you whilst I tweak my nips to try & catch up.

Cos thanks so much for your story, its really helped. MW did briefly mention that I didn't have to be induced, but .............. I think I was so shocked & upset that I didn't really have the time to think about it properly & discuss my options. She's coming again tomorrow to try another sweep - this time at least in my own home - so I think I'll chat about induction again then. Thanks again everyone.

Yay for Twinks! EXCITEMENTS! Will be pacing here whenever I can XX

Loz, I bet a sweep in your own home will be a completely different kettle of fish. Incidentally, if the MW gets a kettle and some fish out of her bag, you might want to consider contacting your PCT.

But I will say again to anyone facing induction, mine was totally fine. Am in no way trying to ignore people's fear/dislike of them, just trying to reassure that if you need it, it's not necessarily a bad thing at all (on the other hand, I was ill and had had 2 hrs sleep in 48 hrs, so was quite relieved to have to lie about!) :)

Oh so much pacing to do!