Sneeze births! We shall BROOK NO ARGUMENT about overcoming any issues in our way! (part 10 yikes)

[NinjaChipmunk]

This way ladies

I'm hoping its not just a rumour, I heard you get contents of your trolley in asda, something in M&S... I was posting on a 'come on, it must be soon' type of thread in childbirth with lots of 40+ weekers and flisspaps I think, who I see posting on mn a lot and seems quite knowledgable, was coming out with lots of facts like that, and about expectant management instead of induction etc. She was 40+9 at the time (has had baby now). Tres annoying though.

I think I remember reading part of that thread, I know I remember reading that her baby was born over 11lb! That's the other scary thing about going past due date, what size will it be

What's expectant management?

I've just Googled expectant management, it's not for me. I'll be more than happy to be induced if I get to 12 days over. I know everyone has different views etc, but my own thoughts are that there's good reason for induction being recommended at that stage. Placenta deterioration is something that has worried me throughout this pregnancy - for reasons I've not mentioned.

Dream I hope you're having a better day today and you've been able to get a break.

Expectant management is going in for CTGs and monitoring daily past 42 weeks to avoid being induced with the higer risks of instrumental delivery, monitoring etc. Waiting for natural labour safely basically. There were loads of big babies on that thread. I was hooked!! 11lb 9 was the biggest, but a 9lb 12er too etc.

So sorry Scarlet :( I would ask what you've tried, but I'm guessing you've tried everything reasonable! How about getting stuck into a task/project that will really annoy you if you leave it half complete? A huge puzzle, reorganising the kitchen/study/some other room, something like that? . Also like Dream's suggestion of shops that give you free stuff - does anyone have a list of those?!

Also know what you mean about planning labour to ensure DH is around at the best time! My DH has specified times/dates which would be best (i.e. so he can get out of some days he isn't looking forward to, or so that he can take off the May bank holiday week and get five days off for the price of four!). I've strictly told the LO the days it can't come (mainly moving day, and a couple of days with key things happening) - which of course means it will arrive on one of those...

And yes, I imagine the FB friend will be even more intolerable once the baby's actually here. I may then have to hide her from the feed or something. I hate the development timelines too Dream. My DH also believes in the laundry fairy, though to be fair he does do a lot of the other chores around the house - just hasn't got the hang of ironing. I thought it was a ploy to begin with, until I was really ill a while ago and he attempted to do some to give me less to do - didn't go wonderfully..!

Me too, no way I could face more pregnancy than 42 weeks!!

crap, screaming baby..

Expectant management is when you refuse induction but go in every day to be monitored instead. As far as I know they put you on a trace to monitor the baby's hb, check your blood pressure, urine etc for any signs of baby distress/pre-eclampsia etc. The risk of stillbirth does go up the closer you get to 43 weeks, though - it's 1 in 200 at 43 weeks. You really have to weigh up your options and make an informed decision before you refuse induction, because the risk is there. I'm not exactly an unbiased observer on this subject, though, so I'm going to bow out of the discussion.

Has anyone ever met someone who got the contents of their trolley or similar, though? It could be an urban myth. If my waters broke in the supermarket I would probably run out of the place, rather than find a staff member and enquire into their rules!

X posted, sorry - I see you have no intention of going for expectant management! I know it's none of my business, but good!

Whoops, forgot to refresh the thread before posting an update I'd written AGES ago...

Where I am we get given an induction date at our first scan. So I know I'll be induced on the 23rd May regardless of what happens. Oo, which means I've only got a month ish to go max - hurrah!

Asda and M&S 'eh? I have a nice big M&S near here, may have to try that a little further on..

Too I agree. My thoughts are that it's too big a risk. I know there's risks associated with induction such as interventions etc, but I'd rather that than than risk the placenta stop functioning. I had a good conversation with my MW about it last week and she told me that the reason induction is suggested at no later than 12 days past due date is because of how fast the placenta deteriorates after 14 days. I also remember being told that induction is advised for no later than due date for Mums over the age of 40 for the same reason. (Not that that applies to me). Looking after the placenta is just as important as looking after the baby IMO and I'm already panicked about how it now must be starting to not work as well as it was.

To be honest though, even before I knew all that I wouldn't have considered refusing an induction. Every day that I'm pregnant now is causing more aches and pains and I just want it over as soon as possible.

too, on the tamba boards there's loads of people strongly saying you don't need to be induced/ sectioned earlier for twins, NICE guidelines misinterpreted the studies they used, you should refuse as the last weeks are so important for growth, laying down iron stores in babies livers and other things etc etc. Needless to say I ignored all that and am very pleased with my 37+6 eviction. I could maybe have got to 39 weeks if i didnt have a toddler but beyond that, I dread to think!!! I suffered at the end as it was. I didnt think it was as high as 1 in 200. I thought the risk was very small and only went up very slowly. Eek. Can I ask too, was it placental deterioration which caused Thea's death? Did you know before you went into labour? This is probably totally inappropriate and tactless to ask so feel free to completely ignore those questions and I.hope they don't offend you.

But yes, I totally agree with you scarlet, I panicked over having healthy babies until they were actually in my arms with all three of mine. Any increased risk is too much for me! My placenta was not deteriorating at 40+4 last time, looked very healthy they said. I didn't notice anything other than how vast it was this time with them.fused together!!

It's ok, I'm not offended, Dream. Placental deterioration may have been a factor, but they don't really know what went wrong, even after the full post-mortem. I was 41+3, the placenta was apparently showing some signs of beginning to deteriorate - it was only operating at 80%, but they stressed that this is something that happens in post-term pregnancies and usually the baby is absolutely fine. The best guess they had was that when labour began something happened to cut off Thea's oxygen supply, and possibly the cord was being compressed, but there was nothing definitive - no knots in the cord, it wasn't around her neck, nothing. Maybe the combination of some placental deterioration and cord compression was enough to tip the scales the wrong way, I don't know. I was in latent labour for 3 days, was checked by MWs twice and no one picked up anything wrong. Thea died while I was in Triage waiting to be 3cm so I could be admitted to the labour ward, and the lack of heartbeat was picked up by the labour ward MWs when we were sent up there. I still don't understand how a MW can listen to the hb 3 hours before a baby's death is diagnosed and say everything sounds fine.

Hello everyone, apparently today's my lucky day. I was walking through town this morning and got shat on by a seagull! If I hadn't had a bump it would have just landed at my feet:) I suppose I was lucky in the fact that DH insisted that I go and buy a new top as the wet wipes didn't help much! 2 maternity/nursing tops for £14.99 in H&M
My friend fell over in Tescos when she was heavily pregnant and they called a first aider, gave her a drink and a chair. When they were sure she was ok they bagged up the contents of her basket and escorted her to her car.

I suppose with hindsight she hardly moved during the last day, but because I was having contractions every 4 minutes or so I was distracted and I had read a lot on here about babies stopping moving when labour began so I wasn't worried. It wasn't until I was pg with Maia that I realised how much less I had felt with Thea throughout the whole pregnancy. I think she was perfectly healthy up to the very last day or so, but she had an anterior placenta and I never felt so much from her.

How horrendous too, you must be such a strong person to have survived that experience and be such a great, positive mother to Maia and support to those of us flapping over what kind of birth we want on this thread when really, at the end if the day, a healthy baby is the main objective. I cried reading my notes which had how long it was before Seb was breathing independently and that it said livebirth and he only needed 2 min mask and valve resuscitation at birth. can only imagine your fears this time round.

Too the story of Thea just breaks my heart for you, you are so incredibly strong to have overcome this. My Mum went through a stillbirth with her baby after me. It was just a travesty of errors by the doctors at her hospital. Firstly she had a fever, and when she called in they told her not to bother coming in to be checked and just to stay home and take paracetamol (makes me so when I think of such shocking advice being given to a Mum at 36 weeks). Then when she went into labour 3 days later (having had a fever for the entire 3 day period) they monitored "the baby's" hb throughout the labour saying everything was fine. When the baby was delivered stillborn it was a complete shock to everyone, and it turned out they'd been monitoring my MUM'S hb!! Just unbelievable incompetence, with such a tragic outcome.

I'm in awe of your strength Too.

For what it's worth, I would accept an induction as well if I didn't have my other issues and I went significantly overdue. The body does an amazing job when it creates a new life, but things still go wrong and I wouldn't want to just assume that labour would eventually start spontaneously before the placenta deteriorated. Sometimes nature needs a helping hand.

Love the Tesco story Wants!

Lots of hugs for Scarlet, I feel your pain with the end of pg aches and pains! I sooooooooooo want it to be over now. (I have to confess though, I'm getting more and more nervous about the surgery! My elcs should have been tomorrow, except they were fully booked and I was pushed back to Wednesday. There is a tiny part of me that's a little relieved it's not tomorrow after all... ).

I hope you don't mind Too, but I actually mentioned your experience with Thea to my Mum when you first joined our group. I have to say she actually cried for you. She just knows what you've been through, and even 26 years later my Mum's own memories of her experience are still so raw. She was so pleased for you when I told her about Maia's safe arrival!

I admire you too a friend of mine lost a baby in a similar way between her 2 lovely girls and she still has sad days. Maia must feel like such a gift!
scream I would be nervous/ excited in your position aswell. So close to the end! I want to get to Thurs as I would have handed in my essay and be 37 weeks by then. I also have lots of things happening this week at work that I do not want to miss such as a meal out with collegues and committee on Tuesday and a little garden party for the preschool children on Friday.

Too Thea's story is so heartbreaking . You are so amazingly strong. I can't really begin to imagine what you and DH have been through. Maia is such a blessing and will always have her big sister watching over her (if that doesn't sound weird) xx

On the supermarket thing with DS1 my waters went less than 2 hours after I was in Focus (although the contents of my shopping were 1 ball of string so not too much to get excited about. I'd have had to pretend I'd gone for a petrol mower and a shed or something?)

With ds2 it was less than 3 hours after I'd been in Next and M&S simply food. Perhaps M&S could have sent me off with some fancy labour snacks and a hamper of banned preggo foods for after the birth?

Too :( You sound so strong, what a horrendous experience.

Pleased to report that the sickness had gone by 10am, so maybe it was the chocolate after all either way I'm now fine :o

And this is the swimming cozzie of choice... (thanks Munx)

Nice cozzie fluffy

Glad you're feeling better too - cant imagine pg without chocolate!

Found you all!

too - I think about thea and your experience quite a bit. You are very strong, maia is a lucky little girl.

I really struggle to understand the very anti medicalised birth attitude, probably because without it I wouldn't have children. Although Abbie's birth was 'better' and left me less exhausted/sore both my births have been positive as at the end I had a heathy child in my arms.

I had to give away 2 large lindt bunnies biscuits because I knew I'd forget again and eat them and be ill again it was heart-breaking...

I'm 16 weeks and getting cramping in my uterus intermittently. I have right the way along, really - I just wanted to check that it's still "normal" and just stretching etc? I should have asked the MW last week but was in such a tizz I forgot

Too, you are such a strong person to come out of such a heart-breaking experience. I too am in awe of how you've coped, and how you've become such a wonderful mother to Maia despite all the pain you suffered in the past.

Scream, how are you feeling about the surgery? I'm incredibly excited for you! It's so close!

Wants, I'm impressed at you working up to 37 weeks! Granted I have been working from home - but that's a completely different ball game (and I've interspersed it with lots of breaks!). I will still be working probably up until the baby's born - just because I have so much on my to do list project wise - but again, at my own pace and all from home.

Fluffy - so are you still thinking it's chocolate related then? I got lots of cramping throughout PG - stretching and stuff like that I thought. If I were you I'd try not to worry - but if you are worried (or it seems very strong or very regular) maybe give the MW a call? Can't hurt, that's what they're there for!

pomme, I can understand anti-medicalised births to a degree. I'm personally not a fan of medicalised things - used to have quite a lot of fear about them, and things such as needles (now thankfully gone due to the volume of blood they've taken from me while I've been PG!). I'm 'aiming' for a more natural birth partly because the idea of it being so medicalised worries me a little, and secondly because I worry that if it's medicalised it could exasperate my spinal condition more easily. For example, if I have an epidural, I worry that I might end up pushing in a manner that could cause problems in the future, whereas with other forms of painkiller I should be able to be more aware of anything that serious and hopefully find a more suitable position. That said, if I'm in the situation where something medical is recommended to ensure me and the LO stay as healthy as possible, then I will definitely go with it. I have nothing against anyone going for a medicalised birth - I just feel it's not for me (initially) for a multitude of reasons!

Speaking of chocolate, I realise I have none in the house - truly shocking. I need to pop down town to organise some house moving bits - might have to do that now and stumble across a chocolate selling shop..