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

ah... Jess just projectile vomited all over me, the clothes I had picked out, herself, sofa and cat. This is a lot of vomit. right, all change...

I have just nearly triggered an early labour!!

Am clearing the back back bedroom and am sorting through clothes that have just been plonked on the bed.

Have just moved a jacket whereupon a gigantic mass of black legs has shot out at me and landed on my feet.

Cue me screaming like a banshee at the spider that has just attacked me...only to realise it was a pair of shoelaces!

Need a sit down now!!!

Ah, Kyyria, that is so the sort of thing I would do too. Shoelaces are responsible for a lot of needless stress, I reckon!

Squid, that is a LOT of vomit. Go Jess! Have a great day

You know you are 39 weeks pregnant when your husband has friends over and you don't even bother putting trousers on for the occasion.You know you are 39 weeks pregnant when your husband has friends over and you don't even bother putting trousers on for the occasion.

Squid I think you are doing brilliantly and truly, the frankness of your posts is encouraging. I think we can all try so hard to be these Amazonian-esque women who put on a bloody good show for their birth - when the truth is, it's a massive freakin' thing and we get to just be in the moment, being who we are, which can be amazing anyway :)

Last week I was so excited about giving birth. This week I am dreading it and feel very depressed. I'm still 4 days away from my due date but this rollercoaster is a killer!

Someone is supposed to be coming to put in a new shower/bath for us - they were supposed to come today, but now it will be tomorrow or Monday. It means turning off the water for the day, and from the moment of the BFP we'd planned on a home birth! Now I'm in a situation of hoping baby holds off instead of wishing it to come, and I think it's done something to me mentally...making me feel worried about going into labour which is exactly WHAT I DIDN'T WANT. I keep trying to tell myself, it doesn't matter - we'll switch the water back on but it's hard to stay rational.

Reading all of your posts is really helping but my positive/hypnobirthing frame of mind has just disintegrated in the last two days. People keep telling me I must be so excited but I can barely wrap my head around there being a baby, and the thought of the birth just makes me tired. I was so bloody excited to get all down with the primal - and now I just want to run away!

Whoops, copy paste phone fail

Marking my place...hardly been on here but last day at work today yippee! Due 29th October so filling that space after 28th ;) had cramps since Thursday and wondering exactly how much more contractions can hurt lol! Supposed to be having a water birth and the birthing centre at Newcastle RVI where I am going looks fab so hopefully I can handle the pain with entonox and water and will use tens at home for early stages. Thought when I started bleeding on Tuesday it was the start of everything but it's just cervix starting to thin and can still be weeks away from meeting little one. Hope you're all well ladies xxx

Posting updated list in between doing chores.

Orenishii and Ayeasha, is it DC1 for you both and do you know what it is yet? (in best Rolf Harris accent)

Due Dates:

Oct. 1: Gigglewhizz DC1(?)
Oct. 3: Springersmum DC2 (?)
Oct. 4: Katla
Oct. 5: Celestia twins DS1 & DD2 by ELCS
Oct. 7: Violetlights DC1
Oct. 10: MidgetM DC2 if induced
Oct. 11: OnOfMyTurnsComingOn DC3 by VBAC
Oct. 12: Lizzietow DD2, YompingJo DC1, OctoberOctober DC2 (?)
Oct. 14: Hufflepuffle DC1
Oct. 16: Liege07 DS1 by planned induction, Orenishii DC1 (?)
Oct. 17: Smorgs DC1
Oct. 18: Bella2012 DC2, Beccus DC1
Oct. 19: Shellwedance DC1, Willowtree DC1 by ELCS
Oct. 20: Beeblebear DC1, MidgetM if ELCS DC2
Oct. 21: Dosomethingmutley DC1
Oct. 26: Londonmrss DC1, Zara1984 DS1
Oct. 28: Kyyria DC1, Loopyla DC1
Oct. 29: Ayeasha DC1 (?)
Oct. 30: Cherrychopsticks DC1
Nov. 1: Londonlivvy DC1
Nov. 8: MickeytheShortOne DC1

Real live babies :

Sept. 20: Velo - Max 2.35kg
Sept. 24: Lisbethspposite, Paul 6lb 11oz
Sept. 25: Angelico ? DD Mini Angelico, CWest30 - Naomi Louise, 4lb 10oz
Sept. 26: Elpis ? DS 3.2kg
Sept. 30: Squidkid ? Jess, 6lb 14
Oct. 1: WantAnOrange ? Artemis Lily 7lbs 2oz, MrsConfusion ? DD 7lb 0.75oz
Oct. 2: Planktonette ? DS Planktonini, firstbubba ? DS babyfirstbubba 9lb 2.5oz
Oct. 3: FjordMor ? Ida 8lb 3oz
Oct. 4: Crazypaving ? DS 8lb 3oz, Smileyhappymummy ? Melissa Rose 3kg, Milk - William Andrew 7lb 8oz

Had a sweep this afternoon- not hopeful though as cervix more or less closed (apart from being 'a bit more open' as I've already had one child apparently) and midwife could still feel 3/5 of head. Bugger!
Off for reflexology now though! Will report back.
yomping don't do too many chores!

Hi Yomping first baby, no idea - but that was a very good Ralph Harris impression! I have visions at the moment of birth, saying that to DH

Can I ask a question regarding sweeps and due dates?

I have a MW appt on my due date on Tuesday - that's the day I am due, so I wouldn't consider myself yet overdue. If I am offered a sweep, I might decline for a week or so...or is there some pressing reason I should take up the offer?

Dc1 and a surprise for me :) x

Orenishii I'm not offered a sweep until my 41 week appointment. At the moment I feel like I would refuse at 40 weeks- just to give baby time to arrive completely of her own accord. Although ask me how I feel about that in 2 weeks when I am actually 40 weeks and I might give you a different answer...

Orenishii I am due 14th and next apt is on 15th. They hav me scheduled for sweep then. Not thinking too much about it, just going with. I know I may not be ready but feel it cannot really be a bad idea and I am very concerned that I don't want to hav induction so figure it may help things along?? Please don't anyone tell me bad outcomes of sweep as I'm being uncharacteristically laid back about and not reading up pros and cons!! But do tell Orenishii and I promise I won't read!!!

DH is collecting Tens machine from hospital on way home. Bit freaked out by this for some reason!!!!!

orenishii it's totally up to you re sweep. There's no pressing urgency for it. I couldn't wait as I'm finding it really difficult now with a 2 yr old to look after already, but it might not work anyway. I actually asked if I could have an earlier induction than term+12 and was promptly talked out of it! (Quite rightly I think- as midwife explained if baby isn't ready induction might not work and then you end up with emergency c sec).

You can decline any form of induction, including a sweep. They are often booked in routinely but you do not have to agree to this. A sweep is the gentlest form of induction (and I don't think it can have a bad outcome, huffle), and from the sounds of things can sometimes be effective and sometimes not, but I wonder if the times when it is effective, nature would have taken its course at that point anyway?

I'm militantly a bit anti-induction so please do ignore me/tell me to nob off if you're happy to be induced, but so many people say "I have been booked for this" or "my midwife say I will have a ...", and it sounds like they think they have no say in it. You do have a say. You can go past 42 weeks with a scan to check the health of the placenta and amount of amniotic fluid, and regular monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. It's just that hospitals (running to their own schedule and with lots of other preggers women to process) don't like you to do this and so they promote induction to keep you on their schedule. But it's not their baby, it's yours. And induction can mean a tougher, more painful labour as it's making the body do something it is not yet ready for and has not prepared itself for. And if the baby is not ready to be born yet, there may well be merit in giving it time until it is.

Caveat: I'm not a medical bod, just fairly well read and very opinionated and think that birth ought to be kept as natural as possible.

Thanks ladies :)

Hahaha huffle not meaning to laugh at you, just your "don't tell me, but do tell Orenishii" part :)

Come Tuesday my plan involves carrying on with the RL tea, EPO as a pessary - hahaha omg, the things you do! -, walking and demanding enticing sex from DH. When else in our relationship have I ever had to entice him into sex? NEVER! Heavens above!

Mostly I just want to get to the desperate-to-give-birth stage because this hoping it doesn't happen isn't a nice place to be :(

YompingJo I am completely with you re induction times and pressure and I've read many of your posts on it - with a fair amount of admiration. I also followed PollyIndia's 42 week wait and subsequent birth, with similar admiration and have been reading the Un-Cesserean - a very good blog post due dates and the perceived "wisdom" on them! I very much appreciate your input because my views are sometimes at odds with my confidence of my convictions!

Yes Yomping I really do want to avoid the induction for all those reasons. Tho did speak to a friend recently who had both boys induced v late and both had infant eczema. She has done a lot of reading up and there is a common theory that due to the vernix being long gone, skin conditions can develop. This is same person with practically un breakable membranes and once waters broken physically, labour progressed v quickly.

Oh and Shouting very loudly what is this about Evening primrose oil pessaries?????? Is this a trick that had completely bypassed this October group????? Do I need to pop down to the shops again??

Someone mentioned it on a thread in Pregnancy - they're meant to help ripen the cervix. I was a bit at actually inserting them, thinking I'd must have misunderstood it. But was reassured that yes, you can do that.

I've started cracking one open to massage the perineum, and inserted one the other night. I have to say - it might have been a coincidence but I felt very odd. I immediately fell asleep for fifteen minutes, went VERY pale and felt very strange down below. Not bad strange. Just strange.

I've been having one orally once a day and always feel very sleepy afterwards. Maybe it's all placebo but it did something to me

I've got a new plan to induce labour... next Thurs when I'll be 39 weeks, I'm going to see Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day!
Robert Plant always manages to provoke some sort of hormonal reaction me so I'm sure it will induce labour.
I missed the EPO thing as well. Hmmm. I used to find EPO helped with my PMS stuff.
I just went for a slow 40 minute walk and now have terrible bump ache.

Well I had reflexology. Interesting as the bits the therapist paid particular attention to ie pituitary/endocrine system, uterus etc were really tender to the point of being painful. Will see what happens. I don't have high hopes really.

Why is it that every single programme (dramas) I have watched today has had women in labour screaming their heads off??

I mean I know I've not been through labour before, and I know it's going to be uncomfortable, but I'm absolutely certain you don't have.to scream blue murder!! It's off-putting!

Kyyria I so carefully did not watch ANY of those programmes before labour! They always highlight the most dramatic and upsetting things, and they always seem to involve someone flat on their back in agony! I want to see women giving birth sitting on chairs roaring, or standing up like superwomen, or in pools making chanting noises.

For the record, I think I ... definitely not screamed... possibly howled for the last few contractions. But only RIGHT at the end! I tried not to as it makes it more painful! low moaning or mooing (heh) is apparently more useful...

at Kyrria?s scary shoelaces!! And I've studiously avoided all childbirth/labour programmes on purpose throughout pregnancy as I strongly believe you make your own experience and I don't want to be petrified before the event

And thanks to the reality check Squid of the projectile vomiting And at the sexy stuff, I really hope my libido returns after childbirth because it disappeared weeks ago and I fear it?s left the country, never to return

Yomping Gah! I?ve been totally crap completely forgetting at the peri massage thing, really must do better!! And I really am in awe of your knowledge about everything pregnancy related

huffle yes love the baby pics on f/b as well but also admiring the many recent beautiful bump pics too

Mickey agree with Squid that magic mat sounds fantastic!

LOL at Beeble with the trousers. I caught sight of myself in the mirror wearing a black thong the other day but there was literally hardly any material showing because it had been all swallowed up by bump & flesh The next day, I wore a pair of huge pants (that I?ve got in preparation for post childbirth) and I?m ashamed to say they were amazingly comfortable ? but Christ, I looked ugly & ridiculous in them!!

I?m on cloud 9 after going to the hospital this morning and it was a very quick in & out appt!! We were only there 15 mins, it was great!! Had a scan by a really lovely, experienced MW lady and it showed that baby Loopy?s head was down, although not engaged yet, but definitely NOT breech ? YAY!! Really, really pleased

I?ve been trying to keep calm about it and think ?what will be, will be? and as long as baby Loopy is born healthily then that?s all that matters (which still stands obviously) but didn?t realise what a relief it was until after we left and I cried my eyes out in a hospital corridor ? think DH was a bit , bless him. So feeling really happy. She did say that if my waters break before labour/ contractions (she said there was a 0.005% chance this would happen) then I?ve got to rush in ASAP, as there could be a teeny tiny possibility that the cord could get in the way but if I?m having contractions, then there?s a strong chance I can have my splashy ?vag? birth (what I?ve been calling a water birth) in the midwifery-led unit.

We then went to McDonalds for a frigging delicious Sausage/Egg Bagel, then home for some serious telly watching & bouncing on my ball & I?ve just had an awesome nap Feels like I?ve had a proper lazy day after the quick check-up this morning & how my mat leave is supposed to be

Wowsers, that was an epic post, hope you're all still awake!