Nov 2011: aches, pains and waddling, soon to be cuddles and swaddling

[PamSco]

Thanks Moosey for the title :)

I thought I'd go for it as there are only 4 or 5 posts left to go on the old thread.

Two other threads to be aware of:

Stats - you can update announcements here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1157973-Nov11-Stats-only

Post Natal - for those of you already cuddling :)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1326836-November-2011-early-birds-just-in-time-and-late-to-the-party-all-welcome

Hope this thread sees all our nests full.

Still here :(
Got some sleep and feeling like everything has stopped again. Sigh. Tired and very very hacked off!

voodoo sorry its all stopped. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll start again, especially if you've had a show.

Nothing here from me. Going to go for a walk today and have sex tonight.

merlioness I know you live in Singapore so they have different approaches but it sounds very drastic to me to give you a section if you don't pop just after your due date. If that's what you want, great, but a section is a major op. You don't needs to be induced eiher if there's no good reason. Would they be ok with you just waiting to go into labour? Up to 42 weeks is considered normal by the WHO. In the meantime do you fancy finding an acupuncturist to work on the labour points? It can really hep soften the cervix and get things going.

Merlion, things can surely change quite fast?
Vodoo, i had over four days before the first show and contractions resulted in a baby, things may have slowed but i'm sure they are still on their way.
Thismorning my throat is trying to murder me and i'm well dizzy. I cant recall who said it was kind of nice to be uncomfortable with a normal everyday thing like a cold for a change but, even though thats still crazy talk, i kind of get it! Drags away from the groin pain and boob pain etc etc a little!
Never the less, if this dizziness passes, may take ds to a children's farm today.

Thanks MrsA and Just. I dropped dd off at school and hopped over a low wall (2 foot off the ground) and walked further to the shop and a definite contraction. But stopped again. Poor OH is knackered and running late for work as I kept him awake. Sorry tmi but i need to ask...Still seem to be bleeding a bit but it's dark coloured rather than some of the bright red I had the night before last. Normal?

Morning all (well the few of us left)! voodoo, it sounds frustrating but take heart that things are happening! Still nothing here but I have a sweep this afternoon and I'm really hoping it starts me off.

Please come soon baby!

voodoo not sure what the bleeding means but I wouldcall MW / delivery suite and ask them, better to check it out

Mrs A the induction would happen at 41 weeks. The reason for doing it sooner than in the UK is due to the increased risk of meconium aspiration in the baby. And the section would be in case the cervix is not dilated and the baby not engaged. It appears that an induction would be unlikely to be successful if the baby is not engaged and I am dilating. I have done a bit of research and it seems that if the 2 things above are not the case, the risk of an emergency section is very high. At that point I'd rather have a planned section, than a rushed one (emergency one would see me get a general and my DH would not be allowed to be there with me)
I will do more research and hope that the LO engages, but he seems unhappy with teh space for his head between pelvis and placenta. I don't know if you remember, but he had turned breech for several weeks a while back, as he couldn't appear to get his head past the placenta. This has now risen a little higher still and he squeezed past that now. I am looking at reflexology and can take a look at accupuncture too though I am such a needle phobic

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I was hoping for a natural birth, but we'll see what happens.

just you are right, things could change quickly, but I have started resigning to the fact that this little stubborn boy may not come the way he should. I feel no pressure in my pelvis at all and my bump has a "ledge" above my lower abdomen, so visibly he is not engaged. I will see how it goes.

Thanks for the handholding and thoughts :)

just I hope that you feel better soon!
voodoo I'd call the mw and ask just to be sure. Sounds ok to me, but I'm a FTM!
mash good luck for the sweep

Hi all

Just been to the midwife and persuaded her to give me a sweep, she said that the baby was 4/5 engaged, my plug has gone (when?) and I am 2cm dilated.

Also said the baby was big with a big head and back to back - so expecting a painful labour (aaaargh)

She also said not to hang around at home once things start or we will have a home birth! Oooops.

So quite hopeful now - have rung dh and scared him to death I think with all the above.

xxx

Hello Ladies.
Really sorry for not posting regularly but I am sending you all lots of good wishes thoughts.
Voodoo really am keeping fingers crossed for you that baby will be here soon.
merlioness hope baby decides to head down before too long.
Mrs A and Pandia hope the wait won't be too much longer past due date.
To everybody else waiting good luck.
I will try and get bith story on later (I did mammoth post last night and lost it)
Take Care

Afternoon ladies, happy due date to me! Nothing doing so I'm just sitting down to a ham & cheese toastie and hoping I get a good result a la Pam

My worry of the day is that I don't actually know what contractions feel like so won't know I'm in labour for ages! As I'm strep B + I need to be in hospital for at least 5 hours before giving birth so they can get IV anti-Bs into me in time for them to cross the placenta and get into the baby. I know everyone says 'you will just know' but as a first timer, that's not much comfort!!

Am really hoping we get an exciting weekend of baby arriving, I simply cannot wait to meet our little one now (plus it will stop the 'any news?' phone calls once and for all!)

Voodoo I have no idea (as you may have guessed) but would have thought a call into your midwife wouldn't be a bad idea just to see what she thinks. Hope things sort themselves out for you soon.

Merlioness it does sound like things are quite different over there, but I suppose so long as you know what to expect and are comfortable with it all, things will turn out ok in the end! Sending you (and baby) engaging vibes!

Just hope your lurgy doesn't hang around for too long.

Mash good luck for the sweep.

Hope the sweep went ok Mash.
Merlioness I do see your point re preferring a planned cs than an emcs. hopefully it really won't come to that but at least if it does you are well prepared! Fingers crossed :)
My Mw doesn't work Fridays..... Contractions aren't really happening much now just getting the odd painful one now and then. If this is still the same in a couple hours when OH is home etc I'll ring the hospital. Tis a mix of red and brown blood. Obviously old and new. I'm going to say this 3rd baby is definitely one of the awkward ones!
Busyboys, bet your OH is expecting you to want to go any second! sounds like things are definitely moving though.
Truff, I know what a cop out it seems but you will really really know. My BH's are tight and a bit uncomfy. These are like someone is squeezing my pelvis and I can't talk through them. The midwives at the hospital want to talk to the girl when you ring as they try to judge how you are coping with contractions as they are difficult to talk through!
Ok, so I put an application in for my dream job, just before inwent on mat leave..... I've only gone and been asked to an interview!! I'm shocked. Excited and shocked!

Feeling down after the sweep. She could only get one finger in my cervix so did a sweep as best she could with that but said that it was best to do a sweep with 2 fingers. Bishops score of 3 which I know isn't good either. I had a cry when I came out as I just feel like things aren't happening and I'm so desperate to avoid induction and have the home birth we planned. I'm starting to hate the sight of the birth pool in the kitchen.

Merlioness I hope your baby engages so you still feel like natural birth/induction might be an option.

Truffkin happy due date!

Busy things sound good, apart from the painful labour part...

Voodoo great news on the interview, well done! I hope you get some good advise from the hospital and things keep moving for you.

Mash I am sorry the sweep didn't go to plan. I think me you and voodoo all feel the same way re the thought of induction. Having done it before I can honestly say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but it's hard to accept when you have your heart set on another type of scenario. I've had quite a lot of encouragement from a friend who like me was induced first time and had a long labour, forceps etc but her second was 9 days late and it was a quick, straightforward labour and she was home the same day...so I am focussing on that! Still am accepting that I have had three sweeps in my life and three have failed! Ah well, maybe next time!!
I was feeling a bit odd earlier, a bit dizzy and very heavy pelvis but just had a cheesy quiche and spoken to my mum and feel fine again! Fingers crossed for acupuncture tomorrow!
Congrats to pamsco with that wonderful birth story, such lovely news!
By the way- am I able to look at the fb page? Am desperate to know names of all these delicious babies specially as I am still seeking last minute inspiration for the boys name!
Voodoo- great news on the job interview by the way!
I always seem to write too much! Sorry!

Ah Mash don't loose heart - you are only 5 days overdue I think? Things can start very quickly. Try sex, nipple stimulation, anything that makes you open your mouth - orgasms, laughter (comedy dvd), pampering. Go for a walk or stomp around the garden. And don't forget, you are not officially overdue till 42+1 and even then can agree to expectant management (regular monitoring) rather than induction. Your body may just cook babies longer than normal and you can still have your homebirth.

I share your frustration though - I am 40+2 OR 39+2 depending on who you believe (my thermometer in Feb or the nhs) and I would very much like to have this baby this weekend!

My friend came over today to help play with DD as I'm not a natural SAHM - I admit i am a better mummy whilst I'm working. At 9 months pg, We ended up playing hide and seek and catch in the back garden, I amazed myself!

Mash, don't worry. My sweep wasn't much better! I didn't get told a score. Reading through notes, cervix long and uneffaced and 1cm dilated apparently. I totally get how you feel re upset etc. I was really down on Weds after the sweep too, needed a big hug! You don't know if it's going to work and my mw was pretty sure that the sweep wouldn't send me into labour but may just jiggle the hormones a bit and help me on my way.

Had a sweep today and OMG the pain.... I know I'm being a wimp but I've always found the smears really uncomfortable and everyone else seems to find them fine, but this really hurt even though everyone says they are uncomfortable. It actually made me cry like proper sobbing and afterwards I couldn't stop and was shaking uncontrollably... Had made me super scared about giving birth now as if I can't given handle that :( since I've had it done I've been a mess struggling to walk with the most severe period type pain if I move other half had to come home from work this afternoon as I phoned him in tears after the kitten knocked over a glass of water and I couldn't clean it up.

From the sweep seems Bean is 2/5th engages but cervix is still presenting posteriorly and is long so MW couldn't do a full sweep. Don't really know much else about it.

Decided to be induced on Wednesday I don't see any point in waiting any longer and just want it over with, hopefully she'll decide to come before that but I seriously doubt it!

Oh H007 I'm so sorry you feel that way and do remember that induction when your body is not ready can cause more problems than waiting. I absolutely don't want to scaremonger at all when you are feeling so vulnerable already, but waiting it out for a bit longer might be better off in the long run. I am certainly not agreeing to induction if I'm not dilating or presenting with a high Bishop's score as I know that is likely to result in a prolonged labour and a higher risk of intervention including C section.

Right, I'm off my soapbox now

Have been eating pineapple and bouncing on my ball today. Will be trying more sex this evening and a good long walk over the weekend, possibly curry (although I'm not convinced by any of these old wives tales, just makes me feel like I'm doing something!)

Oh H007 I just want to give you a hug.

These babies need to tune in to us a bit better :)
At least we have eachother on here, there is nothing better than being able to talk out loud and have understanding people responding to you. I know that in another week I'll probably feel quite fed up. My DP is great but I think his ears can only take so much of my moans. I just can't wait to meet my baby.

H007 :( sorry you are feeling so fed up and unc

Uncomfortable. Please don't let yourself be so upset. Have a soak in the bath and a cuddle with OH perhaps? Big hugs via tinterweb here x

Hugs especially to H007 and all other frustrated and waiting ladies. At least we are all waiting together. I'm only 40+2 but feel weeks overdue, heavy, sore and uncomfortable.

I didn't get given a score either voodoo after sweep. In fact I have never even heard of Bishop's score. Can't read my midwives notes either - think it says cervix soft, mid position then something else I can't read. She has a very relaxed approach which is good in one way, but seems to involve not giving me any specific information and I haven't really known what to ask - so what you ladies have written is really helpful. I may have another sweep tomorrow and will know what to ask now.

Curry last night did absolutely nothing apart from make me feel really full and and bloated.

Going for nice warm bath now and to burn some lovely lavender and geranium essential oils to relax a bit.

Good luck busy - sounds like things are happening for you

What truffkin said. Hugs to you all.

Overdue ladies - have you tried Evening Primrose Oil too? Its meant to soften and efface your cervix, I started taking it at 39+5 (or so) - 2 orally and 2 down there before bed (you push them up as far as they will go and also wear a pad) - don't know if they made the difference or not but the next day I had my first bit of show and DD was born at 40+2. It might have happened without but worth a try. Don't just take my advice though, do a bit of research on it as wouldn't want to advise anyone to do this that shouldn't (although I think its harmless) IYSWIM.

Ah this is driving me nuts. Every 16 mins. They couldn't be extremely sore braxton hicks surely? Am starting to feel very worn out. Am also sure she is engaging and then disengaging which isnt helping. Was 4/5 at the sweep but as I know that doesn't mean a lot as she also seems to pop in and out. Sorry for self absorbed post. Just feeling a bit disheartened.

Yeah I know the concerns about inductions etc but this is a big baby and they have already been talking about there not being room for her to engage and that a c-sec may be inevitable anyway.

I'd love a bath but there is no way I'd be able to get in it haha... Just had a curry though, 2nd this week :)