We will have a serene, pain free, uneventful pregnancy and birth and will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on that.

[scarletfingernail]

New thread.

scarlet can you email MNHQ? I've been having lots of problems with the site crashing for a few minutes and chucking me off and then coming back but in a weirdly formatted way but not what you describe? Maybe they are just fiddling with it?
biscuits if you are worried call the mw, its their job to look after you! Hopefully its just baby moving to a different position.

I foolishly ventured outside of the safe environment of this thread, and the rest of MN have now scared me senseless about having an elcs! I wish I had never asked anything about it.

Starting to freak out about the birth now. Before I'd always imagined the hardest bit of the birth would be getting through the early stages until I could convince someone to give me an epidural. Since getting pregnant and because of the fibroids/SPD now leaning towards an elcs, I thought the hardest bit would be recovering from the surgery. At no point did I worry about having to go through with major abdominal surgery with no real pain relief following a failed spinal!! I shall be having nightmares tonight....

scream in both my elcs' they checked repeatedly whether the spinal had worked and I'd be really surprised if they would go anywhere near you unless you were def numb. Don't listen to other mn ers (they can be pretty mental!)

Scream I've just read your other thread and it seems that a lot more of the issues seem to arise when they are EMCS rather than ELCS so they have already gone through, probably a very tiring labour beforehand. I'm sure it's more calm when it is an ELCS.

Also you're going to have your independent mw there with you (as well as DH). So you're very lucky that your have someone slightly more 'detached' to act as your advocate. I'm sure if you explain to her that it is something you are concerned about she will be completely on the ball for it.

For what it's worth too, although I didn't have a CS with DS, I did have to have a spinal when I was whisked into surgery to be sewn back together. The anaesthetist was excellent and like the CS stories, kept checking that I couldn't feel anything before they got going (although I can't remember how they checked - ice cubes or cold spray or whatever - and DH wasn't there so can't ask him). He then also talked to me all the way through to make sure I couldn't feel anything. Although he didn't talk about what was going on directly he did some general chat and asked me lots of questions about stuff, presumably to make sure I could concentrate sufficiently to answer him (rather than actually being fascinated by my life ). I remember thinking that the talking thing was quite a skill - must make meeting people at parties etc a real breeze.

Although I imagine that anaesthetists (especially fairly nice looking ones like this ) don't really have a problem meeting people .

On the topic of your independent mw Scream did you have an opportunity to speak to her about your 'less than helpful' consultant appointment yet? What did she think on the ELCS / fibroid / SPD thing? Was she able to reassure you at all?

Scream - I ended up in theatre and I'd had an epidural already by that point. They spent AGES checking on it with a water spray to see what I could feel. It was a little lopsided (which hadn't worried them before) so they topped it up a lot to get the lopsided bit high enough iyswim. I just needed to detach myself from birth a bit to work with them on it properly.

I had two lovely female anaesthetists - the one in theatre was absolutely stunning as well (enough for dh to notice too through all his mega worry!).

I'm so sorry Little take care of yourselves

Does this mattress look ok? I don't really know much about them but if this is half price then I assume it must be something like it

mattress

Oh Little I'm so sorry. I've only just heard. Hope you have lots of comfort from your DD and DH. X

How are you Generic?

I hope Little is feeling rested today. Big hugs.

Thanks for the cs comments Hawthers (great to see you!) Biscuits and Pomme. In the cold light of day :) I can see that most of the comments on the other thread were emcs-related, and also I suspect these were highly unusual circumstances. I think I freaked because after posting the thread asking about pain during a cs operation, within the first 5 replies I had TWO people with failed spinals who had gone through with the surgery anyway. It just made the chances of it seem really high, and I couldn't understand why the medical team hadn't been able to resolve the pain issue, even if the initial spinal hadn't worked properly. I think now that in the same situation (which is very unlikely to occur) it would have been possible for me to insist on additional or alternative pain relief. Particularly because my indep mw would be there to advocate for me, if the medical team didn't believe I was in pain (as the other posters experienced).

Also, I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I've been in discussions with my work all week because I haven't been able to get back into the office since my disasterous attempt last week Monday. We've agreed that this is going to be my last week. So I've done most of my handovers already, and I'm finishing up a couple of pieces of work today. Tomorrow I'm off to the GP to be signed off, and then that's it until May next year!!!

I feel a bit guilty still, but my various teams at work have been really supportive and they know that I'm just not mobile right now at all. Mostly I just feel relief though! It'll be so good to be able to stop trying to keep up with the mad crazy hectic rush of January whilst confined to the house and having to use my laptop one-handed whilst lying on my side!! My physio has lots of suggestions for things I can do to try and improve my condition once I'm off work - various classes, swimming, etc etc. So I'm starting to feel hopeful that maybe I won't be trapped in the house for the remainder of this pregnancy! I'll also be talking to the GP about crutches tomorrow, so we'll see if tht helps.

Once again I've done a me me me essay length post!! Very sorry. I really want to know what everyone else is up to? It's soooooooooooo exciting that we have more No Brookers getting towards the end - only 5 weeks for a couple of you!! How are you feeling at this stage? I feel so huge right now I can't imagine being bigger!

Glad you're feeling better scream and yay for being signed off. I'm sure you'll be able to do things to make you feel better once you're not trying to balance work as well.

Thinking of you too today Little - take care my lovely and have some and xx

Little I'm so sorry to hear your news. I hope you get lots of rest and tlc.

Good for you Scream I think you've definitely done the right thing re work. Try and relax and enjoy (as much as you can) the rest of your pregnancy after this week. I bet even not doing the daily commute will make you feel miles better. I had a read through your other thread and came to the same conclusion you have. I think that must be 2 very extreme cases and this will not happen to you at all. Especially because you will have your independent MW with you.

Biscuits did you contact the midwife or hospital? I was wondering if maybe your LO has moved into a position where the kicks are kicking against your anterior placenta hence you not feeling the movement as strong.

*Little if you're reading I've been thinking about you lots. I hope you're feeling a little better physically, I know emotionally you won't be yet.

Ninja thanks for the advice. I e-mailed HQ last night but not heard anything yet and I've still got the same problem. Very annoying.

I've been out today to Asda. I don't usually shop there but I saw an advert on TV last night and they have a baby and toddler event on at the moment. There's some good offers on disposable nappies and wipes so I went a bit mad. Just wondering where to put it all now.....

Scarlet I was all set to call the mw this morning, but then before I got out of bed I felt a really big wiggle - like the sort that would have looked like an alien movement had it not been under the duvet. So I thought I'd see how today goes. I'm up to 5 so far today, which isn't bad to say I've taken DS swimming and never feel owt then (well I mean I get loads of kicks, but they're all from DS!)

DS is at preschool this afternoon so as soon as I've done my ironing I'm going to have a lie down with a magnum . Also, just since swimming the kicks do seem to have moved more to the middle so maybe that pesky anterior placenta is up to its old tricks. Although I'm not exactly sure where it is - I wish I'd got the 20 week sonographer to draw a dotted line on my bump where it is

Just got back from the consultant, as hoped she agreed that my high bp was due to it being taken straight after a panic attack and has discharged me. If no other problems happen then I am ok for the MLU so fingers crossed.

Little, so sorry to hear that. Looking forward to seeing you back here very soon.

Scarlet, I was planning an Asda/Tesco nappy buying trip because I saw ads for baby events at both supermarkets during OBEM! Great minds...

Jen, yay for being discharged back to MW care.

Biscuits, glad to hear LO kicked you again. When do you next see your MW for a bit of reassurance?

Scream, did you watch the ELCS on OBEM last night? I was in shock at how fast it was - ok, it might have been edited for TV a bit, but it was basically cut through the skin, cut through the uterus, baby out! It was really weird watching that thinking that'll be me in 7 weeks and 1 day. She did seem to wince a bit, but they said that was because they were pressing on the baby to get hold of it. I am of you being off work now until next May! I thought I was doing well with 9 months mat leave and 1 month annual leave.

Great news Jen

I think it's fair to say this baby doesn't like ironing but does like magnums

Too next mw appt is next Thu at 31+2, but if I'm still concerned over the w/e, I'll call the hospital I think.

And how are you Too? Did you get the info through about the mw council?

My EMCS was certainly quick too I remember being at how fast DS appeared :)

I did the classic thing of looking at the anaesthatist and him going 'yes, they have started cutting you open now....' before I even got the question out. Tehy said it might feel a bit like they were rummaging to get the baby out but it wouldn't hurt!

I got cold spray on my tummy to check I was all numb too.

Scream just wanted to add to what others have already said (waves to hawthers- hope all is going well). My csection was not painful. It certainly felt odd and I imagine I made facial expressions similar to those of the woman on OBEM but it was not painful. The whole thing was quite calm. Because I wasn't having to cope with contractions, placing the spinal was quite straight forward and then the anaesthetist did lots of checks to make sure I couldn't feel anything, using an icy spray. I slightly felt the catheter going in a made an 'oo' noise and this prompted a whole new round of checking. They were very thorough. I think those women on your other thread had horribly, horribly bad luck.

Too mine was really quick. I think once they have started cutting they want to whisk the baby out as quick as poss. It takes a while to put everything back together though! A friend who had a section timed it and said that the baby was out within 6 mins!

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Glad your lo is being more cooperative, biscuits, mine is much more wriggly now too, which is good. I tend to look for some good movement when I wake up (provided I don't have to leap out of bed), again around lunch time when DD is having some 'quiet time' and then again at night. It is nearly impossible to keep track when I'm running around after DD. She is at the childminder today and I have been so much more aware of movement.

little I am so sorry to hear your news. Big hugs to you and Mr Little.

[Still trying to catch up with the thread] Scream- glad to see you have been signed off. I hope proper rest and physio etc will help.

Is anyone who is on their second (or more) pregnancy finding it harder? Apart from my blood pressure problems towards the end I was ok last time, a bit of SPD, tiredness, heartburn, but nothing too bad. But this time I am finding so much more physical. I have SPD pain and sciatica pain. Nothing like Scream is experiencing, but enough to make things hard. And I get so stiff and achey.

I think it is probably a combination of not being anywhere near as fit going into pregnancy as I was last time, weak stomach muscles and having to lift and carry DD a lot. I am feeling really quite gloomy about it. I still have weeks and weeks to go and so much to do between now and then- stuff for the move, work stuff, general life things! Humph.

On the mega move- it seems we are indeed moving. I am slightly dreading it. I am extremely fortunate in that I have some very, very good friends, both with and without children, within walking distance and I live in an area with lots of good baby/ toddler activities and parks. The area I live in has a high number of people who aren't originally from here, so that really helps in terms of meeting people. I am really not looking forward to leaving that behind. Last time I had people I could walk and see whilst not able to drive and had people who would just come and sit with me, make me cups of tea etc so that I didn't go potty.

I am rather worried about how I will manage those early days with a newborn and 2.5 year old DD (who needs an outing each day) with no immediate support network and DH starting a new job. I will be closer to my family, but still 2 hours away, and I'm not sure I could cope with my mum being my only friend anyway! All that said, I think in the long term it will be better for us as a family but short term I think we have to be realistic that it will be hard. I also have longer term concerns about my career but I think I will have to deal with those later!

So any tips on how to make new friends with a baby and toddler in tow? Anyone had any success joining an NCT postnatal group? (The only ones here are for people who met at antenatal classes). I am going to have to find a toddler group for every day of the week I think!

Whoops- sorry for all the consecutive posts, especially as the last one was not exactly upbeat. Let me offer you all a restorative