Sneeze births! We shall BROOK NO ARGUMENT about overcoming any issues in our way! (Part 11 - blimey!)

[ScrambledSmegs]

Welcome!

Thanks Biscuits that's really positive :)
I worry about a spinal just because aside from the eek-factor you're then immobile (and I think I'd like a water birth) and plus I've heard you're more likely to push too hard and tear. A few people I know who've had pethidine have said it makes them sick and/or so spaced out they were barely "there" iykwim... so I'd be fine with any of that after the birth, but not during, if that makes sense - while I realise everyone reacts to it differently, I don't want risk being so drugged up I miss the birth!!

I had 2 shots of pethidine but the second didn't work and felt perfectly normal with it. The pain was drastically reduced but I still felt like me. I wasn't sick once during labour

Love the name ninja! Mia has always been one of my favourite girls names.

I'm so blind I missed that she's called Mia Rae! Lovely choice Ninja :)

We've been mooting our girl name with a few people thanks to DH - I wanted to keep schtum til the baby's born and are getting a few "polite smiles"........

Congratulations Ninja lovely name.

I just said to dh about possibly using a TENS machine and he thought it was an out of the blue thing to mention and I needed to speak to mw
I'm not really sure what I want to do, I think I have a fairly high pain threshold but this is dc1 so I don't know how it will be. I'm hopefully having baby in a local hospital birth centre so only g+a and pethidine on offer and I am already pretty sure I don't want pethidine.

Fluffy can't believe how quickly time is going it doesn't feel like that long ago since we got our BFPs

Whats the etiquette on choosing baby names that other MNetters are using. We were having a baby name chat the other day and dh said what about Isabel (which by the way I think is a lovely name) Our entire name list has grown to 4!

Cakes our MLU recommends TENS, they mentioned it in the ante natal classes.

Gut instinct is that it probably doesn't matter, considering our children will probably never meet? :o :o Our name list is 2, and at this rate it'll be one of them as a first name and one as a middle name ha ha!

That's just how I feel cakes - I'm ok with pain DH says I'm hard as nails but somehow feel I can't imagine how painful childbirth must be? It's positive that the unit only offers G&A and pethidine though, as it must mean most women can get away with only that. And time really has flown!!

And thanks Jen. I sort of wish you could test the drugs out beforehand :o :o

So chuffed for Olives and Gen!!! And congrats on tri3 for Fluff n Cakes. How bloomin marvellous.

Glad Stacks was fine after all at 16w midwife app. I don't think I'll attend mine; will wait til my 20wk scan on 17 Aug.

Wishing Whims loads of moving luck.

Great names for you daughter Ninja - and so easy for her to learn to write her name unless you have a multi-syllabic surname.

I'm sorry if I'm being a smug bee-atch but I didn't find childbirth painful at all. I didn't have any type of 'pain' relief, just a water birth which I think helped me feel calm and at peace. I was lucky as I didn't have anything like a sweep or even a check for dilation - DS had almost crowned by the time the midwife arrived and I was in the second stage. It's v personal but I was more terrified of something like a huge needle in my spine than it hurting during the birth... I think the water birth (on all fours) helped open up the pelvis somehow or at least relax (therefore reducing potential pain due to tension in the body) and gravity helped us along. I wouldn't have been happy on my back. The third stage was not as perfect as the midwife had to tug on the umbi cord to get the placenta out - that does make me cringe and cross my legs when I think about it. I had a very slight tear but that healed quickly. Sorry if TMI!!!

Everyone is different and it's worth having something like tens as an option for the first hours of labour. I was also v sick and had the squits in the first hour and then felt much better and just got on with birthing - some people suffer with sickness throughout. When I went through transition I was retching at the height of the contractions but this helped me know that the contraction was coming to an end and so I felt quite calm about it.

If I'm honest it was b-fing that was a real killer but I got through the pain barrier after about 6 weeks - not sure if it's helpful to mention this to first-timers.

Who knows what my next birth will be like. Might not be nearly as smooth, I guess. I got off v lightly as I was really only at it for 7-8 hours, possibly less due to not knowing how dilated I was, first time round.

I do feel that it's worth considering how the drugs might affect the baby but I don't want to sound judgemental of those who chose to have drugs. If it helps you get through that's all that matters.

xxx

That's what we like to hear tock - nice painfree water birth!! :o There are two pools at our hospital, I don't know what the liklihood of them both being busy is. Sadly I just wouldn't feel comfortable birthing at home as we're mid terrace and the walls are very thin

If it's not indelicate to ask, how did the squits mix with a water birth?

cake, picking a name another Brooker has chosen just confirms good taste ;-)

Fluffy, are you worrying that the name isn't liked? We didn't share our shortlist for that precise reason. Of course, now Iz is here everyone has asked what our other favourites were, and we mentioned them without thinking.. So if we were ever lucky enough to have another, everyone would know! Unless we think of new names...

Ninja, gorgeous name!

Another vote for the TENs here. I got to 8-9cms on it. Only tried the gas and air when things slowed down (because she got a bit stuck!) but didn't like it. Delivered on my side as the pools were all occupied - be aware that that's a risk if you want a waterbirth :-( I wanted to avoid the spinal like a plague due to my back problems..!

Fluffy, currently two pools at my local centre too. When I went for a your, they said 'They aren't that popular here- they're never normally both in use!' but they were. :-(

Bummer musical - sil wanted a water birth too but the pool was occupied, seems quite common!

We've purposefully gone for more unusual names and people don't seem to like them, no! Or at least they just think they're weird. I hope it'll be different once she's here because by then it'll be "her" iykwim but I do wish Dh would stop telling people in the meantime

Fluff - that is a bit of a bummer; sounds like they need more pools in hospitals. Or less people popping little babsters out in your part of the world in 13 wks time! Ask your midwife about your pelvis - they can measure it (if they haven't already) and give you a good idea of your birthing progress. I was told at 20wks I had a nice wide pelvis and perhaps this helped me..? It's got nothing to do with your body shape btw... Anyway, it sounds like you are a tough young boot and that attitude might be a help. Have you tried the hypnobirthing CD? Self-indoctrination/mantras about being good at giving birth.

I also recommend getting hold of a CD on breastfeeding if you haven't already. I did see one good one, mind you I was still in pain for 6 weeks even though the latch was good from the outset. So there you go. You win some you lose some.

Ninja that's such a gorgeous name, I love it! Sounds like very efficient sneezing, well done!

Fluffy if you only have two names you like, I'd be wary of using one as a first name and the other as a middle name, unless you're certain you're not having anymore kids? My DH's middle name is the same as his younger brother's first name, which I've always taken as a serious lack of imagination on the part of his parents... but then I can't stand DH's brother so I'm biased against him!

My DD's name is Autumn, and I was expecting some "WTF" reactions to that. We only told our closest friends the name in advance though, the majority of people found out the name after she arrived. You're right, when you present it as a done deal most people just accept it, even people I know would have objected to it if told in advance. Although some of the expected objectors have asked why we didn't make Serena (her middle name) the first name instead

Hooray for everyone hearing the HB, having good appts, getting into 3rd tri, and getting closer to the end! Exciting times in No Brooker Land!!

Lovely to hear a hb :)

& what a relief having a good scan olive

tock, I'm very very of your birth. I was very fit, CD'ed up and almost considered a home birth but ended up with an induction, epidural, third degree tear and op to repair. Just saying, you can prepare all you like but what will be will be. I hadn't even considered pain relief bar tens and g&a, I was definitely not having an epidural but I couldn't cope with the pain. So I'd advise just be informed but don't make a plan, just be open minded. After all, who wouldn't want a birth like tock, and who would say I'd like high forceps in theatre please?!

Just realised I've been lurking so much I've not actually said congratulations to ninja yet, so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I still remember your live action bfp so well hopes that definitely was ninja

Just to add my experience with dd to the tens convos. I used the tens machine at home when contractions got too strong and was 10cm when I got to hospital. DD was born 35mins later, but I did use the gas and air for that bit! I'm a fan of tens though, would definitely use again. I was lucky though, 3hour 40mins total labour time. brooking that you don't just get one sneeze birth

Meltdown no.5 over and done with :o

:o scream this is a problem I had thought of, and I hope to talk DH around to perhaps ?saving? one! That?s a bit cheeky though, about the Serena/Autumn combo!

Tock do you mean measure it during birth, or, like, now? I?ve got a hypnobirthing CD but I think it says in it somewhere not to use it til week somethingorother (30 rings a bell? Clearly I need to check)

I think birth is one of those things the old saying ?hope for the best, prepare for the worst? applies to? Everyone wants a tocky birth but it?s luck of the draw in the end to large extent, I think. I will be writing a very optimistic birth plan, but open to alterations should the need arise :)

I replaced the tshirt I got oil down and have only gone and got sodding roasted red pepper juice/oil down it on its first wear AGAIN. It?s cursed!

I doubt any of you will beat me for length of labour. It a record that I am really keen to hold onto but that is because I'm nice, not cos I have a big ego :o

Totally agree with Dream - there seems to be a huge amount of sheer luck about getting the birth you want - yes, who indeed would request a forceps birth (although I know two people who have insisted or paid privately for a C-Sec as they were so scared of nat birth)? - but preparation like hypnobirthing helps with any birth, including getting through a C-Sec or tricky situation. I do realise I am very lucky with DS's birth and appreciate that next time could go very differently.

Fluff measure your pelvis now I meant tho can see what I wrote is confusing. Across your back just below your waist I seem to remember. I started the hypnobirthing lark v early - there's no rules on that one.

Jen - doubt we'll beat your record though I have a friend who has had four DC (DS, DD, DS, DD!), the longest took just over two hours, the shorted 19 mins after induction!!!!

TTFN. xxxx

I will give it a bash novice-stylee (using my novelty tiger tape measure for extra effect) in a sec tock - my hips were 36in pre duffage...

19 minutes!! Not sure if that's better or worse than 24+hrs tbh!

Fluff - hips tell us nuthink 'fraid. Mine are q narrow. It's the shape of your pelvic girdle. Some are naturally more spacious than others... luck of the draw or a daft story from the midwife that I fell for.

DS very proudly showed me his poo-poo in the potty yesterday. This is a major victory chez nous. Just ordered his first undies on tinternet. Running naked round the house he naturally uses the potty without much help - can't get him to realise that wearing clothes still means he has to remember to go to the loo... Whims - you experienced this?

Pt 12 is here, ladies! :o