PART 3!! Sept-2012 Baby Bus!! Christmas-and-New-Year-Shaggers-all-aboard!

[TinkerMaloo]

Cant see another one anywhere on the board and part 2 is full up (finally) so here is part 3! (unless I'm just being a moron and missed it?)

Chat more please ladies, we are too fat and useless to do anything else! ;)

twizzle that's something I've been trying to figure out now for a while. I don't no whether to bother with one or not. Everyone says no point you don't follow it but I think it would be nice to have something written down that might help me and the Oh.. This is my first and I'm not really sure what to expect or what is available so might just do a basic one.

Any help on this would be great :) xx

Hope you all had a good weekend! And congrats oiko glad to hear the labour went well!

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts / knowledge on epidural. I think I will see how it goes, will probably still go for it if I find the pain unbearable. Did consider whether to try out water birth first, but how long can you stay in the water? I heard you can only stay there for so long, and given first time labour usually takes forever, I don't know if it'll be too late to ask for Epi when I get kicked out from the water.

Yes, need to finish packing hospital bag and draft birth plan.

What can you do to encourage baby not to over-stay? I heard pineapple and raspberry leaf tea. What else?

Thanks to the Olympics I was working from home in the last two weeks. Not enjoying the commuting right now. Two more weeks to go!!!

WinterMymble Im sure you can refuse anything you want to refuse! but they will encourage you to do what they think is best.. Not sure ab out refusing Synto and having a CS instead. If the babys heart rate is dropping then Synto prob wouldnt be a great idea anyway as that can cause baby to get stressed rather than help?

I didnt have an epidural with either birth, I have no idea how much it hurts without syntocin lol, but you can definitely do it, its just very intense.

With the second labour I was getting ramped up and ramped up on syntocin when they finally realised that my waters hadnt actually gone and were bulging at the front, so the ruptured them and due to the natural contractions getting way stronger, aswell as being on the drip, I was having constant contractions one on top of the other til I screamed at them to get me off the drip and they noticed that my babys heart rate was plummeting, so they switched it off at that point.

I do think that there are times when it is helpful, but I dont like the way they use it just to speed things up when things didnt need speeding up... They didnt like the fact that I had had the tiny hindwater leak, but I think
(with the benefit of hindsight) that I shouldnt have even told them about the leak and that way I could have just laboured slowly at home instead of following a timeframe.

Oikopolis Huge congrats!!! :)

Amazing news oikopolis massive congratulations!

For those wondering about birth plans, I think they are absolutely worthwhile so you can clarify your own thoughts about your labour and birth and so that your OH knows how you feel about certain things etc for example we wanted DH to announce DD's sex when she was born and not for a midwife to tell us which was an amazingly beautiful moment. Also to think about things like whether you want a natural or managed 3rd stage etc so you're not having to take in info and make decisions instead of cooing at newly delivered LO. They can be very basic - mine is just a few bullet points on a single sheet of A4.

macaroons I had a water birth with DD and it was a fantastic experience. They won't let you get into the pool too early and you can always come out if you'd rather. Also don't count on a first labours taking forever - mine was 4 hours start to finish so arrived at the birthing centre at 8cms, got into the pool as soon as it was ready and was in there for about an hour until DD was born. Other friends of mine have had pretty speedy labours first time too.

Our office is very subdued this morning, everyone is shattered esp those who were at the closing ceremony and didn't get home will the wee hours. I didn't watch much of it, my eyes were too set on a closing ceremony of their own.

Went to Wilderness at the weekend and it was loads of fun - def recommend it as very family friendly - the weather helped enormously of course! Great food, stunning lakeside woodland location, not crowded and no major schelps anywhere though I admit, portaloos and inflatable mattresses at 34 weeks is not a great combo.

S turns 2 on the Bank Holiday Monday and I am just too prego to be bothered with a party....I reckon this will be the last year I get away with it though as she knows only too well what presents and cake are! But we'll have her little cousins round and her granny so no doubt we'll have cake and balloons and a little celebration all the same.

My manager's wife just has baby on Friday at 36 weeks - eeek!!

Hi ladies! Hope you are all ok and congrats to oikopolis. It could be anytime now for any of us (though as much as I think I am prepared, I am still incredibly nervous). I had a growth scan today- bambino is currently about 6lb 2oz, but I certainly won't be taking that as the definitive weight, as I have heard that even growth scans can be wildly inaccurate. The sonographer was the one that did my 12 week scan, which led me to have an amnio after a 4.1mm nuchal fold was spotted. A little part of me was panicking in case something else was picked up. So, after much umming and aaahing and waking up and mulling it over at 3am in the morning, I have booked in for a c-section. I shall be meeting my little man on Thursday 6th September. Still very nervous about the whole procedure, but then I would be nervous at any mode of delivery. Who else is electing for a c-section? The leaflet says that I can bring in music- it may be a good idea!

Congratulations oikopolis!

Anyone else having trouble with the Mumsnet site? It seems to be offline half the time or the talk pages just don't work. Most annoying when there are birth announcements to read on this thread! I'm 35 weeks today, I can't believe how fast these last few weeks are going. I'm almost sorted now I think. I just put the cover back on the baby car seat after giving it a wash and copied the hypnotherapy music onto my mp3 player.

Last night the baby kicked a little foot so hard that I could have grabbed hold of it if I'd been properly awake!

I've written a birth plan, although I'm thinking of it more as preferences rather than a plan. I don't think it is good to plan out exactly how you want it to go in a rigid manner, that just sets you up for disappointment. Mine just has a few bullet points - I'd like a water birth if possible, I'd like to be encouraged to be active if possible, I would like help with slowing down crowning if possible, I will be using hypnotherapy relaxation techniques etc. I'll make any pain relief decisions as necessary during the birth as I know from last time that you don't always want what you think you will! I'd strongly recommend keeping your mind as open as possible and take it as it comes. If you want something that differs from the norm it is worth including that - if you want a natural third stage for example, or no vit k injection for your baby.

oikopolis congrats on your little boy.

Been for my final scan today and now have CS firmly scheduled.... 3rd September so only 3 weeks now, blimey. He was measured at 6lbs 5oz today so seems to have caught up..... so exciting.

How exciting pgreen you know exactly when your little boy will arrive! Feel a little bit as this whole due date stuff is very pie in the sky. My baby could arrive anywhere in the next 1-5 weeks which seems a blooming big window :)

Thanks for birth plan advice. Think I'll go with short list of bullet points e.g.
labour
DH is only birth partner
I would like a water birth but if pool unavaliable, want to stay active throughout. Please encourage not to lie on bed.
Would like to manage pain through use of water (if poss.), TENs and or gas and air.
Please do not offer injectable drugs such as Pethidine.
3rd stage
I would like a managed 3rd stage of delivery
Midwife to cut cord.
Post Labour
Please deliver baby to me for skin to skin
I would like help to breastfeed
I would like baby to have vitamin K injection

Do I need to mention other scenarios e.g in case of an EMCS?

So we have cs booked for the 3rd, 6th and me on the 7th and yes it is nice to know for definite when baby is arriving but cs has its own set of challenges and I'm not looking forward to post op. ouch

Congratulations oikolpolis! Hope you get your little man home soon!

We are doing ok, thanks to everyone for their advice on the boobs, it seems that I have very awkward ones so Amber is on formula, which wasn't what I wanted, but she was getting literally nothing from me... With any luck she will be home next week, so between hospital visits we are getting the house ready. :)

So glad you'll be taking your little girl home soon cakelady. Xxx

currently I do feel like a time bomb! I do get braxton hicks over the past month or two but they are usually painless, these few days I start to get some pain with my braxton hicks. Is that a sign that baby is coming soon, or am I being over sensitive?

Mine seem to be more intense now too macaroons I think it only means something if they are regular for more than an hour. The midwife kept me on the monitor for ages last week as they were very regular and strong and she said it could be a sign of early labour but then they just stopped.
I've been practising collapsing and assembling the pram this afternoon- glad I did as it isn't super easy although it is made harder by massive bump getting in the way. Have also booked a cleaning company to come next week for a deep clean so the house will be spotless before baby arrives (I doubt I'll be up to cleaning in the first few weeks so will be worth it I think especially as I gave OCD when it comes to being clean and tidy!)
Gosh. Just can't wait to meet this little person although I will miss having it inside me, anyone else think that or is it just me being weird?!
X

Phew - taken a while to catch up with everyone's news - congrats oiko on your little boy!

I have been diagnosed with Obstetric Cholastasis which is a bit of a pain as my hands and feet get really itchy at night-time and I can barely sleep. Upshot is though that I am booked in for induction on the 29th Aug when I will be 38 weeks. So it looks very likely I will just scrape in with an August baby.

Does anyone have any tips on being induced? Midwife has said they use this 24 hour prostaglandin pessary. It sounds like it can take a while and you have to stay in to be monitored every 6 hours. The hospital is now like a home from home as I have to go in twice a week for CTG and bloods - it is so boring though, and hot, no idea how I will cope for 24 hours on a ward with other people around :(

Hi i'm new i was a member of netmums but got sick of the over moderation. It seems a lot more laid back here. I'm not due until 4th oct but suspect illl be getting a date for section at the end of sept. I can;t wait. Starting to feel rubbish now

I'm still not sure about whether electing for cs or vbac shoeprincess . I was all set for vbac but I have a few issues I want to raise with my consultant at my 37 wk appointment first. I may still opt for cs yet.

Birth plan I'll have a few points down and wing it. I never wrote one for ds and the opposite of everything I wanted happened so I'm not bothered about it.

Glad you will have Amber home soon cakelady .

I too have started cleaning with a vengance. The plan was we were meant to be moving this week but the landlord kept dragging his heels so I threw the head up and have decided to stay where I am for the time being. Sounds weird I know but something inside me didn't feel comfortable and safe for me to move there. If I go into labour I want it to be in my own surroundings where I feel safe and I couldn't shake the feeling his wife had died in the bedroom. Daresay paranoid pregnancy hormones as I have no idea if his wife is alive or dead but when I mentioned it to dp he strangely said the thought had crossed his mind too. So we will be stuck in my teeny tiny flat for the time being.

Welcome Jules

Hi all, I'm new to netmums too. I'm expecting my third and final baby (boy) on 28th sept. Can't wait! I have found this pregnancy really difficult, lots of pains and unwelcome symptoms. I'm not sure if it's my age (34) or what, but this one is the first pregnancy I can't wait to be over! I feel terrible for thinking it, but I have has enough. I'm sure it's not just me?

Hello ladies, welcome!
What a day!
I started to freak out this morning when I had the worst click in my pelvis so far when trying to get up for a wee.
I got up extra early (5am as opposed to whenever DS wakes up around half 7/8) starving so had cereal as soon as I hobbled downstairs.
Then when we were all up I felt really breathless just sitting down and sweating although it wasn't hot. Got rather emotional and dramatic. I cooled down in the shower and felt better after.
Big painful tightenings and painful kicks up high.
I've had TWO naps today!
Upset stomach and eaten like a horse.

What's that all about?
What I'm thinking is: FILs bday day after tomorrow, DPs the next, DPs grandads the day after.
They have this weird birthday thing that means everyone is born close together.
Also, DSs bday (2yrs) in a couple of weeks, the day after DPs Nan's!

So if tradition holds out, she's coming tomorrow, Sunday or in a couple of weeks. Even though she's not due till 12th.

So, because of all this silliness, the washing up is done, the dishwasher is clean, the washing is up to date, DS bathed and hospital bag ready.
Knickers totally in a twist!!

It did feel as if she moved right down earlier too. And stabbing cervix pain.
Told DP to text her and tell to either hang on or get a move on!

My luck I'll go way over due and be the last of us to burst!

Feeling a bit silly now...

Congratulations oiko!!

Had my 34 week app yesterday - everything is fine, but bump did not like being manhandled - she was kicking back!

She's measuring a touch small, but not too worried as both me and dh are shortarses not the tallest anyway.

Just can't wait to finish work now, not that it's difficult to get there or that work is hard, but just being able to turn the alarm off will be bliss!!

Got my list of jobs for when I finish - washing, cooking/freezing, general housework and nesting - think I'd better keep busy, as otherwise it'll be a humongous shock when lo arrives and I've been sitting on my arse for a month!

Welcome to the new joiners!

Ladygagoo When I was induced with my first child they had me in a seperate room (not Basingstoke). I wouldnt want to be on a ward either... if they dont automatically put you in a seperate room you might be able to "buy" one? I know they have individual rooms which you can have at a fee if they arent using them for anyone thats priority, its worth asking if you have a few spare quid and want the privacy.

As for the induction itself it migh take a few prostin pessaries to ripen your cervix as its your first and they are doing it quite early...

(I went in at 8pm and had one that did nothing, then got another in the morning which worked enough for mild contractions to start and for them to break my waters at around lunchtime. I was 42 weeks)
You will ned to be monitored as induction can stress the baby but my experience at Basingstoke on the monitor with my second child wasnt as bad as my first birth, they still let you move about and encourage the birth ball etc rather than keeping you on your back, so dont worry about a scary induction as its a good hospital for active birthing which makes everything much easier :)

re CS's, i am also still undecided. I have another consultant meeting this Friday and hoping to be certain by the end of that. DS was cat 1 EMCS, very scary, under GA so i have no birth memories, DP wasn't allowed in room, add in a 3 pint major PPH, a botched canula in my arm, a catheter that blocked, an infection caused by they don't know what, and DS being APGAR 1 and then needing transitional care, involving twice daily visits to SCBU...and its something i'm keen to avoid (was meant to be a calm home/water birth).

So i can choose ELCS or attempt VBAC, entirely up to me to decide. Consultant quotes 70% chance of VBAC working...but that is generic stats. Greentop guidelines suggest i won't be successful - raised BMI, i am short, male baby, expected to be over 4000g, less than 2 years since previous CS, no previous vaginal births, maternal age 35+. Growth scan suggests he will be 87th centile/ 9lb 4 if makes it to term (unlikely as DS was over a week early). Abdomen bigger than head. Had GTT last week and as didn't receive a call, assuming that i haven't got GD. Midwife who was present during DS labour has said if this baby is back to back like DS was, she feels there isn't a cat in hells chance of me delivering within the restricted time they will allow me to push (30 minutes, posssibility of extending to 60 minutes, but depends on if they think baby is almost delivered by end of the 30 minutes, as increased risk of scar rupture the longer you push, and if then end up with EMCS, more likely to suffer PPH the longer you've contracted/pushed for). With DS i pushed for 4 1/2 hours and ended up having CS. So my current plan in my head is that if baby is back to back, get taken to theatre asap for what would be a lower category EMCS. If not back to back, think it is worth attempting VBAC as i went into labour spontaneously last time, waters broke, and i fully dialated. All factors that might mean i stand a chance (although the greentop guidelines suggest otherwise). If at any point i am not progressing at a speed they are happy with then they will take me through for an EMCS. Again, if baby not delivered within the restricted pushing time, then will end up as EMCS.

If i attempt VBAC and it doesn't go well, my birth plan states that i do not want forceps to be used under any circumstances as do not want to risk prolapse/incontinence/injuries to baby, i just think they are barbaric. I have also stated i would prefer an EMCS to be carried out under spinal not GA, so that we can be present at the birth.

If it ends up as EMCS then for future babies i will just opt for ELCS (we wanted 4, might possibly settle for 3 depending on how next pregnancy goes/how old i am by then). But i think if there is a chance of VBAC working, i'd like to try else i'd always be wondering what would have happened if i had tried. Plus it would mean i could still drive and lift DS into his cot, high chair etc. (my insurers said that i could not drive until i had been signed off by the doctor at my 6 week check up - and that i should be able to do an emergency stop as an additonal criteria).

However, it could be that following consultants meeting on Friday, they remove the choice from me and recommend ELCS due to abdomen being bigger than what is already a big head....as i have been told that the head should be the biggest dimension and if the abdomen is larger, there is a considerable risk that the baby can get stuck.

Anyone got a crystal ball??

Wow loopy you have a lot going on, but it seems like you've got it under control and your very well informed about your options. I hope everything goes well for you at your next appointment and you get to make your decision then.

There's been a lot going on in the past few days here.. Which isn't helped by my sister starting very early labour then stopping then starting again so it's all exciting here.. Might be an auntie soon :) can't wait to hold her wee woman..

Went for my Mw app yesterday I'm measuring at 33 weeks, instead of being 37 weeks. She got very worried and sent me to hospital for a scan with a consultant as my bump is same size this week and at my 35 week scan. Cue me going to hospital, waiting for 4 hours.. Getting a scan baby is weighing roughly 6lb (which I think it's a good weight) but consultant concerned he is small so being transferred to consultant led care. Have no idea what the difference will be but I have appointment in Friday so hopefully find out then.
They where talking sections and all but not to me so I'm now nervous as I haven't a clue what it means anymore. But hopefully Friday will clear it up.

Also one midwife told me I need to rest up loads in order to get placenta working correctly, the next one told me that baby is awkward position and to get done and scrub the floors. I have no idea which one to follow (I no the one I want to do) but not sure which will benefit me and baby more.

Hello to all the newcomers, hope everything is going well for you.

Xx

Rachel if they have said that you need to scrub floors, i would bet anything that what they mean is the baby is positioned back to back. I think they abbreviate this as OP (god knows why). This means the baby is facing your belly button, with its back against your back, which is the wrong way round for an easy birth. The baby should ideally be facing your back, or be facing one of your sides but not your belly. There is a lot of thought that being on all fours, or lying on your left side, can encourage a baby to stop being back to back, whereas lounging around on a sofa etc encourages back to back...so you don't actually need to scrub floors, but it's a way midwives try and suggest the right position. My DS was back to back and thats why he wouldn't move down enough to be born before his heart nearly packed up. Also a friend gave birth in May to a back to back baby (her first 2 years ago wasn't back to back). She said she cannot believe how much harder and how much more painful it was to deliver a back to back baby, and that she thought she was dying and that she'd have given anything for someone to step in and do a CS on her....and they have decided that they will not have any more children as a result. I'm not saying any of this to scare you, but i think people need to be aware as to how much a labour can be affected by a babies position, my midwife never really explained it, and if i had known then what i know now, i would have done anything in my power to move the baby to a better position.

Being consultant led can mean you are limited with your birth options. Eg here it means i cannot give birth in the midwife led unit (which is down the corridor from the main delivery unit in the same hospital!) and i have to be monitored throughout the labour - but they have a wireless monitoring thing they call telemetry which means i can still be mobile and in a position of my choosing in labour. (with DS, it was wired monitoring which meant the belt was around my belly and i was on my back on the bed, which reduces the size of your cervix by as much as a third, which makes the labour even harder and longer!!)

In short, by being clued up on implications of things like this, i am convinced i would not have ended up in the situation that i did with DS, and what worries me is that i came in contact with lots of medical professionals during that labour, not one said he was back to back, and no one intervened to get me in a better position and so it is no wonder he would not come out, especially as he had a 91st centile head and i am short and petite. It was the medical staff telling me to stay on my back...

Sorry to hear you're none the wiser after your appointments rachel I don't understand how they can think that after being told all of that, the Dr. didn't clarify next steps! Hope Friday is more enlightening. Perhaps put your labour bag in the car when you go, just in case? It's nice that there are people who've done this before on here like loopy who can try to clarify a little!

Feel bit pathetic after reading recent posts, lots of you have more important things to worry about than I but..please forgive my self indulgent rant.

Feeling really tired after a stupidly hot and interrupted nights sleep as a consequence I feel shattered and a bit tearful bloodyhormones! So I really didn't need my mum phoning up asking me if I was ill (knowing full well i'm not!) because my sister told her I didn't want to stay in town for long when we met for a coffee?!? Que my response 'but we had a coffee and were out for an hour and half' My mother then tries to guilt trip me by saying 'But your sister is really trying!' I just don't understand. I'm 37+4 weeks and don't feel like wandering aimlessly round town for hours. We met had a coffee and a pleasant time, or so I thought

Of course, on top of lack of sleep, this conversation made me cry! Pathetic I know!

Rant over, as you were people!

Twizzle if it makes you feel any better, I was exactly the same after a night where I only got 2 hours kip, except that day we were up in London sorting through DH's grandmother's flat (she's just died) and I was crabby and shitty with him all day. Talk about bad timing!

I'm in a grump because things seemed to be progressing really well over last couple of weeks- I could feel Peanut moving really low down, so assume she was engaged, regular BH every day, that kind of thing- then after a weekend of back and forth from London sorting out, had last consultant appt who said she wasn't engaged at all!
And I know for a fact that she's back to back as well... doing my best to lean forward as much as possible, hands and knees etc, but really worried she's not going to engage and I won't go into labour naturally. Really do NOT want to go overdue and be induced, but don't know what to do about it.
On a night I lie on my left side, and she kicks and thumps me so hard in my side it's physically painful and makes me cry- I'm not being too pathetic (I hope) as I normally have a pretty good pain threshold, but it feels like she's bracing to try and make room and there just isn't any. Really hoping she comes soon!

Have looked at spinning babies website, and getting some raspberry leaf tea, but beyond that...
Any advice? Am kind of at the end of my tether. Feel like things are going backwards!