We will have a calm and worry-free pregnancy with lots of jumping beans and bouncing babies and will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on that (Part 7)

[TooImmatureTurtleDoves]

Purple - my dh has lost half a stone recently the selfish git so I am within 3 lbs of him now. I have ordered him to bulk up immediately!

at Pomme's demand to her DH! My DH is super skinny and I often feel like issuing the same demand!!

Dream I thought lactulose was for constipation not piles? Although of course if the piles are caused by constipation it would help after a few days. I think most pregnancy piles are caused by the sluggish blood flow through the pelvic area because of the pressure from the baby though, rather than actual constipation?

Purple DS was back to back too. I didn't realise until they got my labour notes out at my 20 week scan this time that the consultant actually had to turn DS round the right way with their hands! I always assumed they used forceps to turn him, but the forceps were just used to pull him out after they'd turned him.

The community midwife who came round my house to check my stitches afterwards said I had the best episiotomy she'd ever seen

Eeeek at finding that sort of thing 2-handed thing out after the event Scarlet - although impressed they got your labour notes out for this pg!

And v impressed by your excellent episiotomy! I might demand the same mw!!

Good tip about the bath puff - I don't think I did that but more by luck than any common sense I think so can quite imagine I would have done something like that this time!

Thank you for the hypothetical piles suggestions, you know, for my friend and all that.... . I'm She's going to go the doctors today I think to see what they say.

I'm going to have to take DS to the doctor too as he still has a temp of about 39. It comes down with calpol but just goes up again after 4/5 hours again when the calpol starts to wear off. He doesn't seem to think anything else is hurting though. just really tired and cuddly / lethargic.

Although I am a bit he'll have to witness me my friend having her undercarriage checked!

So I've seen a lot of chat about weight gain over the weekend - I'll add my two-penneth. I've out on almost 2 stone this time - I can't remember what I put on with DS but I don't think it was any more than that. Like someone else, I'd put on half a stone in the first, well, 6-8 weeks actually! it just pinged in from nowhere. Then stayed steady for ages - it seems to stay steady for ages then go up really quickly in half stone intervals. I'm kind of hoping I don't have to put any more on .

I only weigh less than DH because he's very very tall and thus quite heavy even though he's not overweight iyswim.

Erm, I can't remember what else was talked about over the weekend

Purple 3/5 engaged is very exciting!!! And to think you could go into labour any time now!

Am I remembering correctly that the amount engaged goes backwards iyswim? So 1/5 engages is almost fully so, whereas 4/5 engaged really means 4/5 of the head is out and 1/5 is in the pelvis? I'm sure I remover something like this from last time, and thinking it was a really stupid way to describe it (although maybe of course they have their medical reasons!)

Oh, can I ask another question? Does anyone else feel like they have a burnt tongue? I remember having this in the last weeks with DS too, and it is just that my whole tongue feels really dire - as it I have burnt it, except I haven't . I seem to recall it cleared up in its own after DS was born. Dies anyone else either have it or know if it's a sign of something else I should get checked?

Oh and Dream, I still don't know how to get calpol stains out of carpet, but did you know you can now buy it colour and sugar free? We bought the colour and sugar free one at the weekend - and glad I did as I've just spilt it on my bed!

Good Morning!
Dh is 7inch taller than me and usually 2 ish stone heavier so I am quite peeved I weigh more than him! I have to say I am glad I am not the only one with such issues Pomme!

Biscuits if I sleep with my mouth open my tongue dries out and is really uncomfortable, could it be that? And it does kind of work like that, 5/5ths is 'free', basically they break it down into the amount of head they can feel above the pelvis.

Scarlet be thankful you didn't realise about the two hand thing, actually agony.

Oh just thought I would mention, that in your hospital bag you might like to include, lip balm and hair bands if you have longer hair. Not sure if these had been mentioned before?

Lol, I still have calpol stains in my carpet. Thank goodness for colour free! But biscuits, as this time we are having intact perineum all round you won't need scarlets mw.

scream, everything slows down in pg, so stool moves more slowly through your gut and more water than normal is reabsorbed so leading to firmer stool that's harder to pass. Hence lactulose to keep it softer. Less effort to go to loo so hopefully doesn't worsen piles and can help them. Hypothetically speaking.

Can I ask a questions about previous births? How long was your second stage? I was looking at my notes last night (my Drs helpfully printed my entire medical history for me when we were referred to get hsg etc) and mine was 3 hrs 40 mins (hence ventouse being needed), just wondering when it is considered too long?
will type a longer post when my hands have warmed up!

Not sure ninja - I was a bit out of it, but must have gone on for a while, without getting anywhere (hence the forceps). I never 'crowned' - I don't know if that common when you end up with an instrumental delivery?

I will ask DH later if he can remember.

Purple I know what you mean when you sleep with your mouth open - I get that of I've had a cold or anything but that tends to be round my lips and gums at the front too. This is just my tongue and feels just like its burnt. And I haven't been sleeping with my mouth open, so I'm a bit perplexed!

Oh, and hypothetically my friend might have been given a prescription to try and help with the piles - lucky her eh? It is for the anusol hc one though and she knew I was pg. apparently they are quite external though and not bleeding so maybe that helps? She did say it probably won't go until after the birth but the cream might shrink them a wee bit.

Hypothetically speaking of course

And DS seems loads better - still had a wee temp but the nurse said his insults were up a bit but not infected so just keep going with calpol for his temp. He seems so perky though and has been singing all morning so I've taken him to nursery for a bit, with instructions to call if he takes a downward turn at all. Am glad he seems so much more like himself

Ninja - mine was 4 hours dd came out with forceps after failed ventouse.

I think I got moved to theatre at just shy of three hours after signing c section consent form. Then they do ventouse then forceps then c section.

First timers - I hope you're not scared by us. I know lots of people who had lovely first births too!

Ah interesting that they did your ventouse and forceps in theatre Pomme - were they expecting it to go to CS? They never tried ventouse with me (but would this be because DS hadn't crowned?).

Biscuits - not sure why I went to theatre then, maybe because c section is risky for me? There were a lot of people there scrubbed up including a paed. I don't think I crowned at all either though so not sure why they didn't do ventouse on you?

Maybe they has to just be more prepared with you because of the risks? Don't know why they didn't do ventouse with me - it was never even mentioned as far as I can remember

I think forceps/ventouse are used in different situations, like how far up the birth canal they are .etc
About 30 mins for my 2nd stage and it was a real relief pushing as my contractions didn't hurt, just the pushing did and I felt like I was doing something, very gratifying!

Glad to hear about your friends prescription Biscuits

I know I requested ventouse not forceps if possible in my birth plan. I didn't crown either (he'd start to come out and then get no further) so in came the person who did the episiotomy and then got him out. Biscuits did you state a preference in your birth plan between forceps or ventouse? Oh and your friend must be glad she got her prescription.
purple well done on the engaged bit. Exciting!

I don't think I did state a preference, although I can't really remember. I think my birth plan was a lot of just seeing how it goes. I imagine it would have been along the lines of 'whatever they thought was best' but I don't have it anymore as it was in my notes, which you give back don't you..

Did anyone have delayed cord clamping or physiological 3rd stage? I forgot to ask about it at my MW appt yesterday! The syntometrine made me ill last time.
:(

you do indeed. Although I found some random scribblings in a notebook the other day, along with a hideously long hospital bag list
My office is bloody freezing. And I'm the only one here all day. How exceptionally boring. And cold.

no I had a managed 3rd stage and if my platelets are still low (and prob even if not) I'll do the same this time. I just wanted it over by that point and having it managed helped. I must remember to ask though, if I can't have a spinal due to platelets what happens if it all goes a bit tits up? Go you get a GA?

Don't think so Purple - I don't think I'd even ever heard of it until you mentioned it the other day, but they were 'keen' (!) to get me to surgery as I was losing so much blood (I recall as they were wheeling me out saying 'it feels as if there is still something up there' and them replying 'yes just a couple of clamps to try and help with the bleeding' ) so I doubt I would have been allowed anyway.

What is symptowhatsiterine?

The syntometrine is the injection they give to expel the placenta. I reacted last time and spent ages being faint and vomitting and only held my Dd for about 10 mins before it started so not keen to have it again, unless I have to. I can still have delayed cord clamping (waiting for the cord to stop pulsing, so the blood goes back into the baby after delivery before clamping) with the synto and I would recommend everyone delay the jab for 5 mins if you can as it makes a huge difference to the babies iron level :)

However, with the physiological 3rd stage it can take an hour for the placenta to come out and I am not sure if I will just want it over with! I probably wouldn't have been able to have a phys with her as there was meconium in the waters also.

Interesting what you say re the cord clamping. I thin I need to start carrying a small notebook so I don't forget all these things!

Ninja, my second stage was about 20 minutes. It was such a relief to be doing something, finally! I had taken about 3 days to get to 3 cm, then 14 hours before I was ready to push - they examined me and said I was 10cm but with a bit of a lip so they would leave it for another hour and I nearly cried. I had had an epidural and it was wearing off in that last hour - ow! Then they eventually came back and topped it up, got me to brush my teeth and wash my face, sat me up with the bed raised behind me and said right, let's get this baby out. It was about quarter past 9, and the MW said I bet we can get this baby out by 10, and she was born at 9.42.

Biscuits, your friend might want to up her water intake to make everything a bit softer, iykwim. Also, I have had that burnt tongue feeling and it seems to be linked to dehydration - I get it when I'm hot and thirsty. Mind you, I also just do seem to burn my tongue more easily at the moment on hot food. I tend to get it after eating a hot meal from the work canteen, especially when the room has been hot and stuffy, so it's partly eating hot food and partly being too hot and dehydrated.

After all this weight chat I am curious. I can feel my resolve not to weigh myself until the day before my section weakening! I'm fairly sure I won't weigh as much as DH - he's 9 inches taller than me and is currently rather overweight himself, so I would be shocked if I did. I never weighed myself with DD1 after week 20, by which time I had gained a stone. When I first weighed myself a few weeks post-birth I was a stone and 5 lbs heavier than my pre-baby weight, and I had lost the 5lbs before I got pg again .

I am worried about the overhang post-section. I don't want an infection! Is the advice just to lie down and lift it up (boak) as often as possible? Or can you wear anything to keep it off the wound?

Agreed Ninja, unless you're all available to come with me as my doula team?

I might do the delayed cord clamping thing, if poss. What are the benefits of the natural 3rd stage? I think I'll just want it over by then, and I don't think I reacted to the injection so unless there is a compelling reason I'd probably just go with that again.