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.

MrsArch you're right, I am only 5 days overdue and I did expect this baby to be late as its my first but its just the pressure of knowing they want to induce on Wednesday if its not here by then. But I am trying to think more positively!

Thanks for the Evening Primrose tip, I haven't tried it so worth a shot.

H007 I know just how you feel but we both have time for these babies to come before Wednesday, 5 whole days! I've never spent so much time talking and thinking about my cervix!

mrsgt hopefully we will all avoid the induction route.

I have also booked another acupuncture session for Sunday morning and I will do plenty of walking and perhaps another swim this weekend. Better get off the sofa and back on the exercise ball, sigh.

mashpot try not to stress, I wanted a HB with DS and was in the same position as you but he arrived at 40+9 - one day before they wanted to induce me. However I refused induction so early and asked to be monitored instead, here you can have a homebirth up to 42 weeks so no way was I going for induction 2 days before that!! Speak to your MW and ask to be referred for monitoring, its worth checking out whats going on in there, fluids etc before you just agree to induction, if your dates are even a bit off it can have a big impact. Good luck!

My inductions weds as well.
I have been given an induction date for all 3 of my dc's (obviously including this one) and I haven't made any of them. don't give up hope ladies!

Just getting kids picked up to go to hospital. Contractions every 3/4 mins. Since about 3.30.
Sending out some labour vibes. Will update when get chance.

Brilliant news Voodoo Good luck.

Just thought I may get the chance to let you all know birth story... Probably in 2 parts
Wed 16th Nov due date- woke up with wet bed and what I thought was a show. Community midwofe confirmed waters had gone but there was meconium in them. Checked with labour ward and told to go in.
had bath got OH home and headed off. Arrived hospital around 1pm ish.
Monitor on for babies heart- he was doing ok. Midwife noticed I was having some ctx not very strong or regular.(I had noticed them).
Doc and midwife explaoned that they would normally like to get labour going as per risks with meconium in waters and asked me about having a drip to kick start ctx. This is where I turned into a baby myself as I had had this with my forst son and I really didn't want again. I even went as far as saying no I will have a section instead!! ( not rational I know)
Anyway complete stand off on my part and I asked if I could go for a walk and a chat with hubby to see if I could get myself going into more established labour. Agreed and we went for a walk for about an hour

When we came back from walk monitored again and baby ok. Ctx getting more frequent and stronger but ok. Agreed to drip on the proviso I could have epidura if needed , they wouldf stop if I didn't like it etc etc..
Went and had shower whilst waiting for it to be set up. vERY nervous by now. Drip in about 5:30 ish. used TENS and bounced on ball was monitored wirelessy so could move about (ish). Around 6pm I asked for drip off as I wanted a shower as I was struggling a bit with ctx. In shower singing and swearing to myself and got the pushing urge. Lost it a bit at this point and told OH to get the midwife cos I needed a poo and it was her fault!! She was lovely and gor me to the bed. I must have been a very difficuly customer by this stage as OH since told me I asked for all the drugs they had and a section and also I wanted a kittten and not a baby!!
Midwife was brilliant and talked me down from my panic. Had a few puffs of G and A and a few pushes later DS was born at 7pm. All fine and lovely. Labour recorded as 1hr 35 so I was home to introduce him to his big bro at about 11pm.
Sorry mammoth posts but I am so relived all went well.
Good luck everyone and Fingers crossed for Voodoo

Argh i just cant keep things in my head long enough, as i catch up. Sorry, i know i wanted to give someone abig hug but i cant recall why now. But h007, you certainly. Seem in need of a hug. Or a miracle which enables you to teleport the baby from uterus to cuddle, but i cant do that. I can understand why that sweep experience would leave you scared, sounds like a nasty one. Just remember birth is meant to happen, sweeps, not so much. Our bodies didnt evolve with sweeps in mind! I too am scared of giving birth and often end up with the shakes thinking about it, but here i am, doing it a second time.
Voodoo, good luck! And hadak, sounds like things went a bit crazy for a while but all good in the end!
I'm shattered. Worst nights sleep. Was woken by three episodes of sleep apnea, two sleep paralysis, three nightmares and six toilet trips. Eventually just got up as felt panicky at the thought of going back to sleep. Already dreading bedtime, which sucks.

Just what a dreadful night for you!! Hope you manage to get some peaceful sleep today.

Yay Voodoo looks like you're avoiding another induction!

Terrys thanks for the words of encouragement. I feel better this morning and its the same here, homebirth is an option until 42 weeks so I will ask to put off the induction for a couple of days if it comes to it next week. In the meantime I'll try everything else.

Just poor you, sounds like you didn't get any sleep last night in between all that. I hope your family gives you time for a nap today.

Yay voodoo. Good luck. Thinking of you.

Halal you did make me laugh with your request for kitten not baby!! Sounds a bit hectic for you but well done coping with the drip so well.

Just I also had horrific nights sleep, well, not sleep. Actually had major hysterical tears about 3am and went to wake up DH (not in same room anymore as I am sleeping do badly). I felt so down and depressed. Uncomfortable, sick of no sleep and being pregnant but even more worryingly started to feel that I don't even want this baby , like it has all been one big mistake and that I just wanted things with me and DH to go back to how they were before I started pestering for a baby. Hope it is just the tiredness talking.

Fingers crossed today for more signs for more of us. Think I'm going for my second sweep.

Good luck Voodoo.

Pandia Really sorry to hear you are feeling so down. Honestly I know how you feel about the not sure if you want the baby now thoughts. I think it is a natural stage most of us go through. I definitely did. BUT when you finally get to meet your baby any negative thoughts are forgotten iinstantly.
Hope you are feeling better soon and good luck for the sweep.

Voodoo hope it's been a productive day for you and you are enjoying newborn snuggles!

Pandia sorry you are feeling down, am sharing (((hugs))) with you. I'm sure it's just hormones talking and making you feel low. Things will be good once your baby is here, this last stretch is tough!

So this morning I think I'm starting to loose some of my mucus plug. It's clear so far so not an imminent sign, but still must be a good sign that things might be starting to move along. Am having a good bounce on my ball to offer a helping hand

No newborn snuggles yet. Sent home. I don't know if the bAby has turned and is back to back. All the pain is in my back. Unfortunately suffered an internal examination from a student and then a mw which I have to say was agony. Second mw 'thinks' am only 2cm. Ive tried to rest but not succeeding. My back is excruciating and now pretty much refusing to believe this baby is ever coming out. Dont want to head back to the hospital as honestly they made me feel like i was stupid.

Hello all,

just wanted to post loads of labour vibes to everyone still waiting to give birth, I've been lurking and seeing how you are all getting on, am sure that there will be some more good news soon.

To everyone feeling low, hope you feel better soon, the babies are definitely coming, they are just a little late to the party that's all, IYSWIM?

Sorry Voodoo lots of good vibes heading your way. I'm getting the odd 'shooting' type pain in my bum, very low pelvis and sides of my bump. Am not getting a 'squeezing' sensation so assuming not contractions, but am really hopeful it 's a sign that things are changing as have felt nothing at all up to now.

Am desperately trying not to get DH excited as every little twinge he keeps saying 'is it a contraction' bless him. I've told him I don't know what a contraction feels like

Thanks Truff. I've left OH to get some rest and I'm just trying to potter about. Having a sit on my ball and watching bill and teds excellent adventure. Which is quite surreal. Feel awful that I'm in this much pain and not even particularly dilated. Mw suggested I try some codeine as paracetamol is pretty useless. I've never heard of being suggested codeine.

Thanks Truff and Hadak, am feeling a bit better today. SO tired after virtually no sleep, but a bit less panicky about the idea of having a baby at all!! I think extreme tiredness, plus hormones and middle of the night blues were to blame. Now I'm back to wanting this baby out!!

Voodoo you are having such a tough time of it - so sorry you have been sent home and even worse that they made you feel stupid at the hospital. Must say I don't like the idea of being examined by a student at all. Poor you with a sore back, lots of hands and knees positioning to try and take the weight off your spine? They also said I could take codeine when I had such bad migraines - the Boots codeine + paracetamol in one was quite good I found, and definitely packs a stronger punch than paracetamol alone.

Truff I've also been having those shooting type pains through bum and thighs - I think it's nerve pain when the baby presses on nerves that run that way.

Right, off for a little rest and then for sweep - fingers crossed for me please that it's not too traumatic!!

Pandia glad you're feeling better, this last bit is really hard work so not surprised at crazy thoughts and feelings. I hope the sweep was ok.

Voodoo I can't believe you're home again, so sorry there's no snuggles yet and I really hope things ramp up quickly.

Truffkin my DH can't believe we're still waiting and is desperate for me to say contractions have started - he comes home from work with such an expectant look on his face as I though he might find me in labour without having called him!

I walked 5 miles today and then came home and had a sleep on the sofa. Still no contractions or anything close, which is disappointing after the sweep yesterday, but not surprising. Does anyone know if you can lose your mucus plug very gradually? I have had what I thought was discharge for almost a week, could I be losing it slowly or is this wishful thinking?

Well more acupuncture and walking tomorrow and another sweep on Monday to look forward to.

Nothing apart from poor OH rubbing the base of my spine as hard as he can seems to work.
I'm so so tired. Can't think straight. The contractions seem to have eased off my back a little and are more on the front.
Cheers everyone for good wishes and thoughts.
Hope sweeps etc are ok.

Voodoo so sorry to hear you were sent home. However it sounds as though little one definitely on the way now. Re back ache - would a TENS machine help any? Sorry if it is a crap suggestion. I really feel for you re the waiting.
Mash, truff, Pandia and Mrs A sending you lots of labour vibes and anybody else who I have left out. (Sleep deprivatiion my excuse)
Good luck. Hopefully new babies in the morning??

Voodoo, I'm sorry. I have very protracted situation with DS that was similar - just nothng happening but lots and lots of pain and no respite from it for days. I feel for you, Ido. I DID get to the other side of it eventually, but it was a horrible few days and I felt quite despairing. Things WILL move eventually. I had four and a half days of no sleep due to contractions, and it was in the back too - but I still managed to push him out at the end of that, we werent destroyed by it and neither will you be.
Pandia, totally hear where you're coming from. Though I have to say, those doubts never fully went away for me. I love my son more than my life, but I cant say there arent still times I think "i'm not sure I did the right thing, I'm not sure I can do this".
Having a rough afternoon. Had a lovely morning in the park with DS and DP and my mum, but thisafternoon is all stomach cramps and feeling queasy and now DS has had two pretty damn loose nappies so I am crapping myself its a stomach bug worst nightmare for an emetophobic like me. So just really scared now. Been feeling too lousy to catch up on any sleep too, so scared, tired out and uncomfortable myself and just want someone to knock me out and wake me up in, well, not sure when to be honest.

Hi all! Have just had a catch up on post natal thread but thought I'd take 5 mins to post birth story on here....
Ella Rae Clark was born a week early on Halloween 7lb13.
My waters broke about 10 mins after we got home from cinema on sat night. I had had no pain or anything so was a bit of a surprise. We popped down to the hospital and they confirmed it was my waters and sent us home to wait for things to kick off. They would have induced me mon morning had it not started but as it was it did all start on Sunday. We went to hospital at 6pm, after contractions felt strong and close but when we got there things sort of stopped so we decided to go home. As soon as we got home everything got going much stronger again so we pretty much got back in the car and went back straight away.
Had a good few hours in the birth pool on g&a all going to plan however we hit a brick wall and after a few hours pushing and not getting anywhere I was so exhausted they made the decision to take me up to the labour ward. They very quickly decided that they should get me to theatre and try forceps...Ella was doing fine inside in terms of heart rate etc but I'd been at it too long by then! So off we went to theatre, spinal in and to be honest it was a relief by that point as although not what we wanted it took everything out of our hands. Unfortunately forceps failed too so we had emergency c-section in end. A very long night but she was very much worth every minute.

Thanks ladies for all your support today. It really has made me feel much better about my freak out last night.

JustI really hope that you manage to get some sleep tonight, it always seems to make everything easier to cope with. Have everything crossed that your DS doesn't have tummy bug as I know how that scares you.

Mash I have been having similar to you, more discharge but not obvious show so asked midwife about it today. She said that it could definitely be gradual loss and that lots of people don't notice a show or the mucus plug going at all.

Sweep went ok - everything softer and baby now 2/5 so heading in the right direction although not necessarily imminent. Only scary thing was that baby seemed to react badly to being poked and heart rate shot up to 190 - so was put on a monitor for an hour and started to worry that they would insist on more intervention, but slowed down eventually so home again and waiting..

Voodoo thinking of you.

Sleep well everyone, wonder if we will have more news from anyone in the morning?!