October 2012 - where we all bury our heads in the sand

[pinpan]

I'm finding this engagement business a bit pesky - is anyone else confused? The MW said today that bump is engaged, but I'm pretty sure she said 'part' of the head was so when I saw 1/5 with a downward arrow on the relevant bit of my notes I assumed it meant only 1/5 of the head was engaged.

The explanatory notes page however says that 1/5 means fully engaged as that is all that can be felt above the pubic bone.

AND... does any of this actually mean much??? Does it just show that the baby is getting in position without any indication as to proximity to being sneezed out actual labour???

Yes, the 1/5th refers to how much is palpable - so how much they can feel. With a first baby once they're engaged it does tend to mean they'll stay there - though it doesn't mean labour is imminent unfortunately. With subsequent pregnancies they do tend to engage then move back out.

Hugs Loopy it is frustrating and does seem like such a long way to go, but hopefully it'll fly by!

Sorry to hear you've not been feeling great RnB

Hetty good news on her being fully engaged!

Pheebs what Hetty said. I was fully engaged yesterday at 12pm but by 7pm I was back to 3/5th. If only second+ babies would sit still like the first ones!

A quick question. After having my sweep yesterday I have been having the show. I know it can either come once like it did with my DD or come in several stages. First got it late last night but nearly everytime I've gone toilet today, there's more. Is that normal for it to take this long?

39 +5! it feels like i am making some progress, but not enough... my bump is still sitting quite high up and will find out tomorrow at my MW appointment if baby is engaging yet (i doubt it!!!)... period cramps, pains and lower back aches have been constant over the last 7-10 days and seem to be getting stronger but nothing too strong yet...

i am excited and i just want to meet my little man now!!

Congratulations on the great news for those who have finally met their little ones!

pheebs yes the 1/5 means that the MW can only feel 1/5 of the head as the rest is engaged. Atleast that's what I've been believing up to now!

bear I've never had any kind of show at all so no help I'm afraid, but if I did I'd be very excited and think something was about to happen!

I've had to get out of bed as heartburn was horrific after eating takeaway pizza. Just puked the whole lot up so feeling a bit better now though. Fed up of sickness

38+5 today, I have gone to 40+0 and 40 +2 in previous pregnancies but am so hoping this one comes in the next few days!

Hurrah for babies' heads being where they should be! Wish mine was but hopefully today's moxibustion will have helped. It has certainly brought down the swelling in my feet and ankles, which is great! no pin-sticking either, which is even better! Might need another session next week if things are no better with baby's position though, although I suspect it's getting the message...

Littleplastic, that's nasty - but probably better out than in, as they say. Hope you are back asleep now and no more acid for the night.

4.15amand i am fully awake after i had to take a trip to the loo, realised i had left the heating on and the house was too hot and i now have period cramps too!!

Come on baby!! 39+6 and i really wish to meet you now!

Having some regular pains and trying to work out if this is it. They are uncomfortable but very bearable and coming every 4-5 minutes and lasting 30 seconds.

Opinions please!

Ooh polly sounds like things are happening! I guess you've probably gone in now? Hope you're ok.
Does anyone else get hip pain at night? How do you deal with it? I think its not SPD but from where I have to lie on my side and my considerable weight is hurting my hips.

Ooo exciting Polly Good luck!

Elvis I sleep with a pillow between my knees to sort of level out my hips. I lie it long ways, so one end under my bump and the other under my knees. It's like a military operation!

newton thanks! I do something similar but it doesn't seen to help :( its probably hindered by me chucking it out of bed as soon as I'm asleep!

Ha ha fair enough! I don't ( can't?) move once I'm asleep so haven't found it a problem.

In fact, I've even slept through (bar the loo breaks) for the past 2nights... Go me!

DS is at nursery today so I have the whole day to do....something... Ideally that would be having a baby but I'm sure I can find other things to fill my time if not.

Going for a wander with my mum round a couple of shops later on. We get £50 vouchers for buying our pram from them and apparently they have a massive Christmas shop so I'm going to go and plan what to buy

No more exciting contraction-y things going on here... I'm not surprised baby is staying put though with this bloody awful weather!!

elvis - I've found that sleeping on the bean bag has reduced my hip pain a fair bit this time around, haven't needed to decamp to the saggy old studio couch. I also have a pillow under bump and between knees, which helps with the SPD - but I think for me the thing that helps most with the hip pain is having something that helps support my back. With DS it was the back of the studio couch; this time, it's held in place by the bean bag (beanbag is to stop me being flat because of the awful reflux in the night). So - you could try packing a bunch of pillows or whatever behind your back as well, see if it makes any difference?

I don't move much when I'm actually asleep either, but I'm finding I can get through the night with usually only one turn over this time around, which I couldn't with DS. Mind you, once that piercing hip pain starts, I have to turn over - it's impossible to ride it out or go back to sleep. I hate it!

Good luck to those with pains and other signs :)

Have two of three children off school today with high temperatures and rotten colds. Just what I need 5 days before I'm due and with a house full of work that needs doing Though, my eldest seems to have made a somewhat remarkable recovery with the phone call to report absence having been made and a dose of Calpol ingested.

Had a few twinges overnight but nothing worth getting excited over. Kind of more patient with knowing I'm going to be induced next week anyway if I've not gone into labour spontaneously - according to what the consultant's written in my notes, anyway (at least, I'm pretty sure that's what it says, I think being a prerequisite of being a doctor is having illegible writing) so one way or another I'll have a baby by the end of next week.

*I think a prerequisite...

I seem to have an extra 'being' in that sentence :o

Hope you're on your way, missPolly! :)

I know this is probably only my 4th post on here but can I have a moan please? I'm getting fed up. Cramps, BHs, twinges and even the odd 'proper' contraction (I had one yesterday. One contraction! I ask you.) are a) keeping me awake at night and b) getting my hopes up. Every night I go to bed hoping and wondering if I'll wake up in labour, but nada. I'm keeping busy but can't seem to just forget about it until my due date, and it's getting really annoying. And exhausting. I just want to meet the baby now!

Apologies for self-indulgent post. I also have a cold, which is probably not helping my mood Hope everyone else is feeling well.

I may be the only person on this thread who is hoping NOT to feel any contractions! But only because if I do, my consultant has told me I have to go straight into hospital because of the unstable lie situation. And I don't want to go in earlier than is already booked unless I absolutely have to.

Sounds exciting missPolly, hope everything is progressing for you!!

Thumb I will join you in absolutely not wanting any signs of imminent birth. I need pip to stay put and happy until next Friday. My reasons are different to yours. I want a nice calm planned cs. If I go into labour I will be so scared that pip could have the same problem as DD and a good outcome would be an emcs.

So I am sending all my baby eviction vibes to all of you who want contractions and telling my pip to calm down.

Hello ladies, just back from my acupuncture-to-start-things-off session. Feeling very relaxed. Dp has taken dc3 swimming with his mum, so I'm going to Homes Under The Hammer something interesting, do a little cleaning and then lie down and relax

Fingers crossed it starts things off!

I'm feeling really crap today. Baby is in some weird position, with a foot in between my ribs and another in my side so I'm constantly feeling sick. Only sleep for an hour at 10:30pm and then 45 minutes at 6:45am so I feel exhausted today. Wish baby would settle and leave me alone til next week now. Or just come out now and get it over and done with lol. Heartburn was awful last night as well. Only just getting over it now!

Hope everyone else is feeling well!

Littleplasticpeople. I was having bad heartburn/reflux for the last month. Got a perscription for zantac yesterday from doc and first night sleep without heartburn forever. I do however have a terrible cold so was still up every 2 hours with that. I wouldn't have been able to deal with both

I have about 4 pillows behind my head and a body pillow under bump/between legs, sleeping over the duvet with jyst a light blanket. Takes me 10 minutex to get sorted for bed. 630 I shoyld try to get a bit more sleep. This house fly buzzing around is going to drive me batty.

Joins hands in tne no contractions corner and chants om!