January 2012 - Will any of us deliver before Father Christmas? The race is on!

[MakesXmasCakesWhenStressed]

Hope you don't mind the slight tweaking of the thread title :) I was feeling creative! Not that it matters, at this rate it won't last more than a week...!

I have a growth scan tomorrow. I'll be 37 + 5 and measuring 35 on the fundal height. it wasn't actually the fundal height that alerted them. I had a scan to check the position of the placenta last Friday and they noticed that the amniotic fluid was low (it was actually bang on the border of 8cm - my MW explained this yesterday at my appointment. Didn't tell her I had already googled it!) and the baby was small for it's gestation.

I'm not overly worried because Peanut is still squirming, I was 6lbs 1/2oz at birth (1 week over) and only 158cm tall, DH was 7lbs 2oz at birth and for a man is on the small side and my estranged brother was 5lbs 15oz and 2 weeks over at birth (although he is rather tall now!). DH's father is tiny!!!! He's about the size of me (though he is 83!)

I have wondered if I have a slow leak in the membranes as my discharge is slightly watery. About 5 weeks ago, I slipped and my knee ended up jabbing my tummy. I didn't bother getting checked over because Peanut seemed fine, i was fine and there were no outwardly showing symptoms. Just trying to figure out why I MAY have a leak.

On another matter, I'm trying to think about pain relief during labour. Obviously being my first DC, I have no idea what's best. I am thinking about a water birth but the hospital only has 1 or 2 available and it might be in use when I go in so I was thinking of other options.

Meptid or Pethidine??? My hospital offers both. Not sure which is 'best'. I'm likely to be sick anyways during labour (pain does that to me) and sedatives have a very good effect on me (if that makes sense!). Would like opinions if possible. I know everyone is different but when I googled it, most people had one or the other (or had never heard of meptid). Anyone had both?

Thanks Sho and Parsley, feel a bit more reassured now. :)

From looking at my notes the growth does look like it's slowed down but the midwife said it could just be the position of the baby. Glad they are checking it out though.

Sho, you're in Scotland too aren't you? I'm based just outside of Edinburgh, had enough of this wintry weather already!!

Right, off to bed now for what I'm sure will be a wonderful, restful night of sleep. Sending good sleep vibes to everyone else!!

It could be bellakins my bump started measuring smaller as the baby started moving down.

So of all these engaging babies!!! Although my heffalump is trying its hardest to squeeze its bum in there. Much to my discomfort.

Yes bella im not far from Stirling

m2b When having dd I had Tens, gas & air and Pethadine. When the Pethadine started to wear off I asked for Epidural but was already crowning so that was a no no. Iv never heard of Metpid.
Funnily enough it was the standard issue 'anti sickness' meds that made me sick during labour.

I should have listened to the advice to stay seated on the sofa: in trying to mop up the intense stickiness, I thought water from the kettle would help to release it and in pouring it into the mop bucket, I managed to splash my foot with near boiling water. I am a clumsy thing tonight. I'm going to bed soon - hopefully tomorrow will be less clumsy. :)

Oeisha, sounds like your day was pretty good to me! I need to fill my freezer with pre-prepared foods.

Mulled fish - I'm very glad you didn't glass yourself in the face! Maybe clumsiness is par for the course at this point, I am getting tired much more quickly.

Sho - is your baby the wrong way round at the minute?

Mum2be - Hope all goes well with your scan tomorrow.

Right, I'm off to bed before I do any more damage...

Morning (and I'm using that term lightly!) Ladies

Feeling alittle ...relieved? (I'm not sure what the right word is here). One of my friends travelling to cp, taking the route we would have been taking, sliped off the road and into the bank due to ice and snow on the road. Thankfully no one was hurt and with some help were able to get back on the road. But the remaining 60 minute drive took the 2.5 hours. Dh was saying, he thinks we've had a lucky escape, there's no way we would have been able to get to a hospital quickly if we needed to with the road conditions and if that had happened to us I would be so stressed by it, I'd be giving birth in the ditch!

Pain relief - I've heard (and I don't have research to back it up, I think I found it on the baby centre tho) pethidine can increase your chances of pnd, I think it was only slightly, but it was enough to put me off using it! I've not heard of metpid before...although I think the anethitist offered me some when I was in labour. (She went through my options as we thought I wouldn't be allowed an epidural) As I hadn't done any research I declined and went for the epidural she also offered! I actually could've kissed her when she told me she was happy to go ahead.

Mulled, I hope you've got some sleep and its a better day when you wake up.

Mum2be good luck with the scan

Oeisha that sounds like a very productive day! I managed to empty the dishwasher and hang out some washing.

Hope everyone's todays are better than their yesterdays

ugh - am in the 'darkest before dawn' stage of post-physio atm. Back aches horribly. DH has 4 workmates over for chilli and poker tonight, which I am actually happy about, because they can entertain him and I am going to go to bed at 6pm with 2 cats, a trashy novel/MN and some kind of chocolate that I will buy myself today... Bliss.

Morning everyone. Here's to a better day!!

Addicted glad your friend is ok but how scary. That's reminded me that I keep meaning to pack an emergency bag to put in the car now the weather has turned. Last year I had a tyre blow on the motorway and had to stand in -5 for an hour and a half. It was only 5 weeks after I passed my driving test too.

Pain relief wise. Our hospital only do meptid. It has a similar affect to pethidine but is supposed to have less side effects eg less crossover to baby so less likely to have a drowsy baby. I was offered it when I had to have a drip to strengthen my contractions. However as they said it would be at least 4 hours on the drip and already been labouring for 18 hours I decided to go for an epidural. Was very glad I did as it completely removed the pain and labour lasted another 6 hours. If I was having a labour that was progressing more quickly I would consider meptid. If it was turning in to another long one I wouldn't hesitate to have an epidural again. I think it's hard to make these decisions in advance as there are so many unknowns.

Morning

Only sleeting here so far so chancing it in on the train.

I'd be thinking the same thing addicted lucky you didn't go. Glad your friend is ok though.

I think my hospital only does pethadin. They didn't mention the other one at antenatal.

Oh and cakes hopefully the aches will ease a bit during the day and moobee hope your day turns out to be less clumsy than yesterday

Morning!
Hopefully a better day for all.

Yes bee baby has been sitting on its bum since mid October

Lucky escape there addicted, glad noone was hurt.

Hope ur feeling better cakes

Dp has just came home from work and said its heavily snowing everywhere but here. Woohoo! Hope it stays that way as I have physio this afternoon.

Morning all! :)

Frilly and Addicted you're right, I should make sure that a have a emergency kit in the car. We're predicted snow but I really need to go to Oxford and get a present for my family, it's my last chance before I see them.

Hope your early night helps with the aches cakes an thanks for the good wishes parsley :)

Morning all,

Maybe don't touch anything even remotely breakable today bee

Brr to those with sleety snow, it's not wintry here but much to dd's confusion it is still dark.

Last nursery run this morning then midwife at 9:30.

Right better go and get dressed and chivvy Dd along (shes currently singing to herself and making up her own words to the balamory song!)

Be careful anyone heading out.

So sweet - DH hugged my tummy and told baby to hurry up in there as he wanted a proper cuddle :)

I think know he's getting impatient to meet the baby, and possibly a little worried about the labour and everything because he's started stressing about really stupid inconsequential stuff like a stain on the wooden floor which he can easily fix and I'm sure it's a displacement activity. It's kind of cute, but mostly just annoying that he's getting all worked up over stupid stuff. Oh well :) Baby will be here soon enough!

No snow here after all, DH is v smug!

For emergency car kits, may I suggest candles and matches ? Apparently one small candle produces enough heat to warm the car slightly and enough light to keep you cheery. Saw it on a rescue program and have had one in the car ever since I think you need to let a bit of air in the car though so you don't burn all the oxygen...

Day off work and only three more to go!

well it blooming snowed here missus, so tell him to get that smug look off his mug! :)

m2b re: Meptid is less likely to make you vomit than pethedine apparently. BUT if you react to opoids in that way, there's a good chance they both will. And again less crosses placenta apparently. Pethidine babies can have a lower APGAR score as it makes them lethargic, but then so can Meptid babies, though it's possibly less pronounced in Meptid babies. Will most opiates there's a risk of resp. distress and constipation, but most can be reversed with Naloxone if thought toxic. Not heard of anything other than studies showing correlation that pethidine has any long-term iinfluence. Being ultimatly a similar class of drug, meptid will probably have similar correlations anyway that and correlations do not prove cause and effect. I think my hospital offers Fentanyl (less effective for a shorter time and therefor less effect on baby), but might be worth considering.

Also consider, if you want a water birth, that a lot of hospitals will not allow mothers with Meptid or Pethidine in the pool...so, well, give the pool a go first and then opt for the opiate (thankfully my hospital does as I want entonox and pethidine over an epidural).

I assumed it'd been snowing all night here from the quantity. Asked DH whether he thought we'd make it to Bakewell to friends tonight (he's working from home) and he gave me a weid look, so I yanked back the cutrains and "holy shit, it wasn't like that an hour ago". Here's hoping I/Abi behaves today.

ghost OOOh! Not long now!

cakes does you DH wanna pass some of his nesting to my DH? He's decided it's time to fit the carseat this weekend though, so maybe it's kicking in for him. If only I could be arsed to nest properly it'd be nice. I have loads of washing yet to put in drawers and there's stuff allover the nursery bed. The whole baby clothes thing is making me mildly stressed as I don't really see the point in organising all the drawers to discover I've had a giraffe and thus half the clothes in the drawers don't bloody fit. Just want to know how big she is...

From the personal experience of standing on the hard shoulder Im going to put in socks, cheapo uggs, gloves, hat and scarf. When it happened to me I was on my way home from work. I had pumps with thin cotton socks on. I was nearly crying my feet where so painfully cold.

What oeisha said about Meptid etc... Just a quick note that lying on your back is likely to be THE most painful position as the coccyx is unable to flex out of the way of the birth canal, leaving all the nerve rich spine exposed for the baby to squish as it descends. If you can avoid being on your back, it's recommended! It's amazing how much the pelvis can move and flex given half a chance. Disclaimer that I'm a first timer who's planning on a MW birth so only entinox will be available for me, and I'm a proponent of active birth too.

Still can't decide about a tens machine - all science says they have no physiological effect but 50% of women say it can help if used early enough. I could see how the sensation might at least be distracting! Any thoughts?

Cakes can I have some snow from you then pls? Cats are so comedy in the snow (also, small cat is home! Crazy lady must have released her for the night)

Hi everyone...my gosh, I didn't check in for a day and have tried to catch up with you lovely chatty bunch but am struggling to do so! So will catch up with the last page

Hope everyone is well today and that bee has no more spillage probelms

tens machine ghost I am thinking the same, have the page for the renting tens machine open and not only am confused if it is worth it but also which one to get the mama tens or the mama my time? I have to decided I will do it today, as then is another cross off my list!

Hope everyone is doing well, London is dreadfully grey and wet!!!!

xxxx

Ghost I must say that before i had to have the contraction strengthening drip and decided on an epidural I found it most comfortable to walk around, sit on the toilet (though this freaked out the student midwife), and kneel on the bed leaning over the back. I honestly think it would be most comfortable to give birth kneeling although i don't know as I ended up flat on my back full of drugs. Would really like to try a more natural birth this time with a much shorter labour!!

Hi
I have had pethedine and Meptib. I had them when I was really ill with Gaul bladder which in my opinion is far worse than any of my labours. Pethedine makes you feel spaced out and alters how you perceive pain. I could still feel pain but didn't care. Meptib I thought had less of that effect and both I think are given with an anti sickness shot with it. I don't think you can get pethedine is birth is imminent but may be a good thing to try if you really don't want an epidural.

milly before the advent of the birthing ball, the NCT (in some areas) use to recommend sitting on a bucket...

green London's being Londong then!

ghost this is why I want opiates over an epi. I want to be mobile (and in the pool). Some hospitals will offer a "walking epi" but they're not guaranteed to get it right...

Has everyone discussed their birth plan with their midwife already? I wasn't planning on writing one specifically, but my MW hasn't even asked whether I have any birthing preference, whether I plan on bf or anything... she just does the regular obs and I'm on my way!

Do I need to let them know now that I want to go to the midwife lead unit or do I just go there when I go into labour (it's the next ward down from the consultant lead unit at the hospital anyway)?

I suppose I should be asking this at my next MW appointment...

So I'm now on the way home again. OH called the office in a panic (he's working from home today) to say that the snow is coming down thick and fast and settling on top of the sleety rain from earlier. He says I'm too fat to risk trying to get home later on dodgy trains I know what he means but there must be nicer ways to put it!

I've got a conference call at 11 so hope I make it in time. Mind you I'm going through south London on the train at the moment and as greenlady says it's grey and sleety. Central london was just grey and rainy.

Re pain relief. I'm really hoping to stay with hypnobirthing or gas and air as I think that I won't like the feeling of the pethadine but we'll see at the time. I'm not ruling anything out.