Due in October part 8- still plodding along, this time with copious amounts of raspberry leaf tea

[Londonmrss]

Surely this'll be the last one before moving to the postnatal section?

Due Dates:

Sept. 24: Lisbethsopposite DS2 by planned induction
Sept. 25: Squidkid DC1
Sept. 26: Elpis DC2 by ELCS
Sept. 27: Planktonette DC1
Oct. 1: FjordMor DD1 by planned induction, Gigglewhizz DC1(?)
Oct. 2: Firstbubba DC1, Milk DC2
Oct. 5: Yomping DC1
Oct. 7: Crazypaving DC2
Oct. 10: WantAnOrange DC2, MrsConfusion DC1, MidgetM if induced
Oct. 11: Smileyhappymummy DC2 by ELCS
Oct. 14: Hufflepuffle DC1.
Oct. 17: Smorgs, DC1
Oct. 18: Bella2012 DC2, Beccus DC1
Oct. 19: Shellwedance DC1
Oct. 20: Beeblebear DC1, MidgetM if ELCS DC2
Oct. 21: Dosomethingmutley DC1
Oct. 26: Londonmrss, DC1, Zara1984 DS1, Liege07 DS1
Oct. 28: Kyyria DC1, Loopyla, DC1
Oct. 30: Cherrychopsticks, DC1
Nov. 1: Londonlivvy DC1
Nov. 8: Mickey DC1

Actual babies:

Sept. 20: Velo - Max 2.35kg
Sept. 25: Angelico - Mini Angelico, CWest30 - Naomi Louise, 4lb 10oz

Brilliant!! Yay Planktonette!!!!!!!!! Welcome baby Planktonini !!!!!! That is a fantastic labour, can I order one of those please???!

Thinking of you Fjordmama hope all proceeds soon. Long chat last night with good friend. All females in her family hav had to be induced as apparently v tough membranes, but once waters broken all proceeded quickly and well!! Perhaps you hav got super strong membranes!! Sounds like you well looked after. Wide mouthed at the nice room with bed big enough for 2 and widescreen Tv...... Can't see that happening in my hospital!!!!!

Just spoke to GP surgery and going in this morning for whopping cough vaccine and flu jab....... Was a bit at flu jab as never had before and kno people hav many opinions on!!!! Hope does not make me feel rotten for days!!!! Was supposed to hav got a letter to go in for it. Well no time to dwell on now, just go get done.

Elpis glad to read you are doing better, keep it up.

Angelico sorry your tummy feeling so poorly and having to ration cuddles Did you get anyone to get you the arnica tablets?? If you weren't just so far up the coast I'd happily pop to the health shop for you!

Speaking of health food shops, Lizzie the raspberry leaf tea can be on your menu now!! I do not know how to do links..... If you google raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy, the link to baby centre which comes up is v useful. Contrary to popular chat to drink it to bring on labour, it is now thought that perhaps it helps strengthen the uterus to help with labour. Takes a while to build up in your system and a lot of us have been drinking since 32 wks. I personally feel it brings on BH so I don't go mad, but after I do my one more day at work tmrw I will be sipping more of it!!! Do not buy in supermarket, raspberry fruit tea is not the same thing, go to holland & Barrett or health shop. As I say, google first and hav a read and read the cautions too, it is not for everyone. Think a lot of us eating dates too (was that Yomping's discovery?) as some research shows they also help strengthen uterus!! Fast strong labours are hoped for!! First few packs I bought were bleurgh, but M&S Deri dates are actually lovely!!

Have a good day all!! Will 2nd October be another birthday?? Xx

Wow, Plankton! Superfast labour. Hope there was no drama! Congratulations.
Fjord, any news? Hope you're ok.
Yomping due dates piss me off a bit. I spent the first 12 weeks telling various medical professionals that my due date was not the 11th, it was the 26th because I have a 42-45 day cycle and I know exactly when I ovulated. They still kept writing down the 11th until the 26th was confirmed by the first scan. I would imagine they might be reluctant to change what the scan told them- to be honest, I would just try insisting if I was you. Or just keep mentioning that you think your due date is wrong and therefore you won't accept any discussion of induction until x date and if they are concerned they can give you further scans to check. Why was your original due date worked out using 41+1 weeks gestation though? It does seem sensible, but I thought they all worked it out based on 40 weeks exactly.

Damn it, just had a call from the doc to say my iron is low so I need to take supplements. Last time they said my iron was 'lovely and high' and I still eat a really good diet. Guess baby is taking everything I've got. Grumble.

Gosh Planktonette that's awesome news!!! Well done!!

Ah squid- induction is slow & all we are doing else is lolling in bed & watching telly. Seems daft not to spend time online! You're doing amazingly ; it's great to hear your updates and the pic is just lovely (did I say that last night? My brain is fudge...).

Planktonette - congratulations!! . Can only dream my active phase will be as quick! (Or was that the whole thing?!) Hope you get some much needed sleep!

I slept over 6 hours & woke to surprisingly regular and spiky contractions on the trace which, so far despite them being quite close together now, I'm still just experiencing as niggly backache & a feeling of bad cystitis (but was inexplicably hardly feeling at all first thing, despite watching the trace rocket up to 100!)). I'm still calm & positive, lolling watching telly & joking with DP. Walking's not good, until i get going a but anyway - a bit like having a hot poker thrust up the fanjo and now just waiting, after another morning pessary, to see if they'll break my waters at midday & move me into the delivery room (I wasn't quite dilated enough when they woke me). Am quite hopeful baby fjord will make an appearance by the evening.

The midwife team here are all lovely & amazing. I've got some acupuncture lined up for pain relief later on during delivery and somewhat astoundingly, we're the only couple yet to deliver in the delivery suite at the moment so we have the whole team's undivided attention! Of course, I'm focussing on the positives...any time from an hour things might get horrid but so far I'm calmed and confident about my experience; I'm feeling cosy, safe & looked after. I am in some reasonable & more or less constant pain now but it's manageable and im finding breathing, smiling, laughing & distraction helps! Thinking of my other induction chums and hoping for news, before checking my phone becomes impossible. Contractions have just started to ramp up since I've been writing so I'll sign off for now - need to go & sit backwards in a chair!! Sending everyone pre & post labour zen vibes. Much love to all xx

Angelico Are you taking enough Diclofenac and paracetamol? I'm on 3x 1 Diclofenac in 24h and cutting down from 8 paracetamol spaced over the same period. (Don't have tablet sizes to hand - sorry). Your GP should be able to prescribe something else if you're in pain. So sorry to hear you feel inadequate. Trust me - getting breastfeeding going properly is a big, big achievement. No one ever discusses it until you get pregnant except to fling an opinion into the 'mafia' wars, you hardly ever really see a woman latching her baby on, and you sit at home, often alone, wondering if you're doing it properly. It may be obvious, but can you raise the mattress level of your cot to make it easier to pick up the baby? For some reason this never occurred to me last time. And babies don't have to be in a cot overnight. A Moses basket will do.

On bed sharing, I looked at the risk factors that can make it dangerous and established that only one (baby under 4 months) applied, so long as I stopped using a duvet on the bed. There's a site called Analytical Armadillo that has a good post on the subject. Nonetheless it's reassuring that one of the doctors on our thread is co-sleeping too! Thanks squidkid. I love the photo.

Yay for planktonette and good luck for fjord - sending you both

Planktonette Congratulations! So pleased for you. Grunting sounds entirely normal. DS does it all the time when awake and not feeding.

Congratulations planktonette and hope everything is going well with fjord

For those of you still waiting to go into labour I forgot to mention that in the early stages (between 3-5cms dilation) the I found that the most comfortable position was sitting on the toilet!! I basically went to and fro - lying on the couch between contractions and then sitting on the toilet. Managed this for about 5-hours until I realised that by the time I'd positioned myself on the couch the next contraction was starting (that's when I realised that perhaps it was time to go to the hospital!).

Have unloaded and unpacked the tescos delivery, and picked up the post off the floor. Am now considering sitting down for the rest of the day to recuperate!!!

Think the stomach cramps I've been getting are BH - when I was unpacking the shopping I was getting what felt like the LO wriggling but he wasn't moving, so I'm presuming that was BH again. Don't know whether to be proud or nervous!

32, 36+2, #1

Huffle I'm joining you in the sore arm brigade. I now have flu in my left arm and whooping cough in my right. The right arm is pretty sore now, apparently it's because it contains tetanus as well so I'm using it as an excuse to put my feet up for the day.

Baby brain moment yesterday. Thought I'd bake some bread, so put it all together then left it in the boiler cupboard to rise. Then forgot about it. Only just discovered it now. It has certainly risen- looks like something out of an 80s B Movie that's trying to take over the world. Not sure if I should cook it or chuck it.

Kyyria I'm a bit jealous of your BH! I still haven't felt anything.

Hi there, just popping over from the November thread.

Forgive me, I have not read the thread in its entirety, but just wanted to check you all know about the whooping cough vaccine. I am due to have a section on 25th October, so like many of you ladies are running out of time to have the vaccine as ideally it should be given as soon after 34 weeks, and prior to 38 weeks as it takes 2 weeks for the antibodies to pass to the baby. If baby arrives before the two weeks, they are offered some protection in as much as mummy is protected. If you do not have vaccine pre birth, it should be offered post birth for the same reasons.

After considerable complaining, including to Public Health Department, I am getting my vaccine today. I would encourage you all to be pro-active approaching your GP surgery about this, as guidance has been issued to all GPs that they can give it to mums near their due date, at their request, before the official paperwork get to them. It is the same injection as pre-school kids get.

If I am telling you what you already know, I apologise.

There is more info on the whooping cough thread in pregnancy.

I wish you all well with your deliveries.

VQ

Thank you VQ ! Just been for mine, flu also. 38 + 2 today so hopefully timing ok. By time baby comes there will be more info as to whether my timing good enough. Assuming so, will keep up to date.

Londonmrss sympathy on sore arm. Baby brain here cannot remember 2 hrs later which went in which arm.........! Even tho I had to confirm it twice with nurse!! Guess I'll be having one sore one soon enough! Yes, tetanus and diphtheria too!! And apparently that should now be tetanus for life due to how program has operated over the years. V helpful!!

Kyyria sounds like a busy morning...... Put your feet up. Mine was supposed to be unproductive, jabs took up the morning. Need to go put wash and water in the windscreen squirters, hav my lunch then SIT!!!! Jeremy Kyle and Doctors here I come!!! I never watch TV, looking forward to few days of it!!

Velo that is excellent advice to sit on loo!! Makes perfect sense. Must remember that!

Radio silence from Wantan hopefully means good things happening!!

Rather proud of my baby. Has managed to move itself to left occiput anterior again!!! Loving the wee foot back on my right rather than left and hoping it now stays here for optimal birth position!! The big bum pushed right up in to my stomach etc is not just as lovely...... But I will excuse it!

Now, am I going to manage this relaxing lark........?! X

Congratulations to Squid and Planktonette on your new arrivals - and for sharing your stories.

I've been relying on the effectiveness of the hypnobirthing CD - doing all my breathing in the golden light, imagining perfect beaches etc for my labour and am disappointed that it went out the window for you Squid. I have to say that I can't actually manage to stay awake to the end of it now - I drop off soundly at about 20 mins every time now! I'm not due til Thursday but am optimistic baby is going to be on time

Yomping - laughed at your list of woes - I think I share them all - as well as having a numb arm problem where I constantly wake with pins and needles in my right arm when lying on my left side.

I am also hopeful that DC is going to be a girl - because DH and I can't agree on a boy name that we both like. DH wants to name the baby after him if it's a boy - like tradition being named after his father. What's your thoughts on that? I'm struggling to get him to come up with any other suggestions and he rejects any suggestions of mine. DH is called Erlend by the way. I like it as a name but would rather that the baby have his own identity - and if I'm yelling 'do the dishes' at someone in future then at least it will be clear who!

Congratulations Planktonette

Artemis Lily was born last night, in hospital, at 6:30pm, weighing 7lbs 2oz. She is very healthy and we are back at home already.

Do you want me to post birth story or shall I put it on post-natal thread? I don't want to scare people who haven't had their babies yet!

huffle let me know if you feel any icky symptoms from the flu/whooping jab as I'm having a dose of those together in a few weeks!

Kyyria doing ANYTHING exhausts me at the momentso not surprising you want to get on the sofa with a I'd probably add a or 3 as well to get your energy levels back up

YAY!! Well done WantAnOrange!!

Yayyyy Wantan!!!!!! Welcome to the world Artemis Lily!!! And home already, lovely!! Take care of yourselves girlies.

Post away (I think, unless anyone disagrees of course!) Yes, the stories make me faintly uncomfortable, and may make my notions fly out the window!!!! But all good to know!!!! And I am soaking up the birth stories!!

I will let you know Loopy if I start to feel poorly. Hoping not!

Yay WantAnOrange, well done you! Impressed you are back at home already, hope you are taking it easy. Bit put out that you chose to go with your original choice of name rather than Kumquat, to be honest, but think I will forgive you eventually . Birth story please, it's lovely to hear them all even if some of them are more realistic that the naive first timers among us are hoping to hear!

Loopy, agree about tea and biscuits - I had to test some jaffa cakes earlier, to make sure they would be good for labour - it wasn't overly greedy to test a whole packet, right? (and I keep forgetting I did that and wondering why I'm not hungry for lunch yet, doh)

MrsC, I thought original due date of 19th was too late at time but have since read somewhere that 288 days (which is 41+1) is a more common gestation in first time mums. Have just googled again but can't find where. Think I should settle for October 12th and then stop thinking about it, starting to drive myself a little nuts with all the possibilities! Feel pretty relaxed apart from this but it is obviously niggling at me so I'm probably less chilled than I thought, could well be the precursor to a full on hormonal meltdown, haven't had one of those for a while

Congratulations to planktonette and wantan - can't wait to read birth stories! squid gorgeous photo, if anyone else feels like posting photo would love to see, I love babies!
To those wondering about jabs I had both whooping cough and flu yesterday - bit on the late side but thought better than not doing at all - and feel absolutely fine today other than arms being very achy, absolutely no flu like symptoms. I've never felt fluey with flu jab either and have had it every year for the last 10 years or so (though may just have been lucky!)
Currently busy with a mega cooking session which is keeping me happily occupied - although I'm knackered and not sleeping v well I find if I stop for long I just start fretting and feeling anxious so think am best kept busy.
Hope everyone is recovering ok post delivery, remember to be gentle with yourselves ladies, no matter how babe was born you have done an amazing and exhausting thing so take it as easy as you can and keep reminding yourselves how incredible you all are.

Meant to see fjord hope baby fjord is well and truly on his / her way and that you are doing alright, looking forward to hearing your news.

Yey Wantan! Good work.

Can I possibly make a tiny request? If your birth story is what you would consider to be negative, by all means post it, but please can you just note on the top if it could frighten those of us who have yet to give birth?

I'm not totally unrealistic, and I don't consider Squid's story to be a negative one, but a really empowering and positive story.

By a 'negative' attitude, I mean like my friend who likes to say things like 'Oh my god, you're having the baby at a birth centre? If I'd done that, my baby would definitely be dead.' It's not even true- she can an emcs. Hospital transfer is less than 10 minutes from my birth centre- I'm pretty sure no emcs would have been performed within that time. Rant over. Sorry, I just don't like people who seem to WANT to scare others. But I know none of you ladies are like that at all.

Any news from CWest? I hope your little one is doing well. Do you know when you'll all be home together?

hi everyone.

Congratulations planktonette, so glad your little one is here and that it was relatively swift! Can quite imagine that it didn't feel that quick to you though. Hope your worries about fissures were unfounded? How are you recovering?

wantan how wonderful! Congratulations to you! Go ahead with your birth story. Hope it wasn't too traumatic?

huffle hope you are enjoying relaxing!

yomping thank you for the sympathy. Am feeling a lot better this morning as my dh was so lovely to me last night. He has been making a birth playlist for me to listen to at hospital as last time we just had Kate rusby on repeat for four days! He let me listen to some of the music he had chosen over dinner and it was so lovely and thoughtful. God I love that man! I just hope the baby doesn't come while he is at work as he commutes to the other side of the country! I need him there with me.
You have got me craving jaffa cakes now! Def going to get some for the bag! Shame you have that confusion about your due date. Do you feel like you are nearly there? I know that is a stupid question, but I haven't had any bh or anything and baby isn't engaged so i just feel like I am nowhere near things starting off.

fjord you are such an inspiration! Love that you are so chilled
and positive. I hope that the rest of it is as good for you. Sending much love xx

Congrats wantan!!! Yes, defo keen to hear your birth story!

Re: whooping cough - just adding a quick note to those that live in the Republic of Ireland (like me) and are wondering whether the health authorities are going to make the same recommendations here.

I called my Domino team at the maternity hospital (Dublin's Rotunda) and was told by the mw the hospital is having a meeting/making a decision tomorrow about whether they're going to follow the UK recommendations.

I was not vaccinated against whooping cough (my mum bought the "it causes brain damage" populist line back in the 80s) so I that's why I'm actively chasing up about it.

Starting to hit the wall at work... I'm so tired.... why did I say I'd work till 38 weeks?!?!?! After today I have 6.5 days to go :(

36+4 today.... tick tock tick tock...

Christ, Zara, you are amazing. I'm 36 + 4, exactly the same as you and finished work last week. I think it was the right time as I'm feeling so heavy and tired and uncomfortable now. I just don't think I could have carried on- well done you.

Just popping in to say Congratulations Plankton and Wantan. Love the name! Fjord Thinking of you, hoping that you are progressing well or have had your little one by now!!